Lib Dem councillor “delighted” budget amendment secured funding for youth provision

https://lichfieldlive.co.uk/2026/03/02/lib-dem-councillor-delighted-budget-amendment-secured-funding-for-youth-provision/

The Vital Role of Youth Clubs in Supporting Teenagers and Communities

In a series of letters responding to John Harris’s article, readers emphasize the critical role of youth clubs in addressing loneliness, social isolation, and mental health challenges among young people. Jamie Masraff, CEO of OnSide, highlights how youth clubs, or 'youth zones,' foster real-life con... [More info]

The Decline of Britain’s Youth Clubs and the Impact on Young Lives

Youth clubs in Britain, once vital community spaces, have been drastically cut back, particularly since 2010 austerity measures leading to a 70% reduction in funding for youth services in England and Wales. By 2023, about 1,200 youth centres had closed and over 4,500 youth workers lost their jobs. T... [More info]

#Teenagers ‘crying out’ for return of #YouthClubs in #England, study finds

Steep cuts left three-quarters of 16- to 19-year-olds unable to get support, youth agency says

‘Youth clubs helped me’: #EfeObada calls for funding for centres for young people

https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/30/teenagers-crying-out-for-return-of-youth-clubs-in-england-study-finds
#ToryPoliciesInAction #UnderfundingPublicServices #GE2024

While street violence in the UK is a tiny fraction of comparable violence in the USA there has recently been a lot of attention on knife crime. A series of incidents has shocked many people. The main group of victims of these crimes are young black men. Which is ironic as this is precisely the group targeted by police and vilified by newspapers for these crimes.

There is also a lot of attention in the media given to the negative aspects of our youth spending so much time online.

What is often ignored is the lack of options for young people who might want to go out on an evening and meet other young people. And what is rarely mentioned is that the UK used to have very strong youth services that provided clubs and venues where young people could meet safely.

For well over a decade, the government has been cutting these services.

https://ymcans.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/ymca-on-the-ropes-report-A4.pdf

#ukpolitics #crime #youthclubs #knifecrime #wellbeing

Mo Gilligan on the cost of living crisis, gentrification and The Brits | The Independent
#YouthClubs
#FoodBanks
#CostOfLivingCrisis
#CostOfSurvivingCrisis
#Gilligan

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/comedy/features/mo-gilligan-interview-brits-peckham-masked-singer-b2278276.html