YMCA slams cuts to youth budgets
0Council spending on youth services has dropped by 69% since 2010, according to figures published by YMCA.
The charity released an analysis of 84 councils in England showing planned average spend falling from £7.79m per council to £2.45m.
A third (29%) of local authorities have planned cuts that would see their spending on youth services decline by 80% since 2010/11, while the vast majority of local authorities (83%) have planned to cut their funding in half over the nine-year period.
Denise Hatton, chief executive of YMCA England & Wales, said: “Youth services offer a vital lifeline within local communities, providing young people with support, advice and a place to go when they need it most.
“The year-on-year cuts to youth services are not without consequences and we are already seeing the impact of these cuts in communities across the country.”
