Discovered as part of a report into local authority expenditure on youth services in 2018/19, these latest figures add to almost a decade of devastating cuts as spending reaches its lowest point in a generation.

Every region of England has each seen funding for youth services cut by more than 60% since 2010, including North Tyneside where funding has fallen by 81.7%

COMMENTS FROM A YOUTH WORK MANAGER- Don Irving, Youth Work manager of YMCA North Tyneside said:

“Youth services exist to provide a sense of belonging, a safe space, and the opportunity for

young people to enjoy being young. However, for almost a decade now local authorities have

struggled under the weight of funding pressures, meaning youth services in north Tyneside

are being forced to endure continued and damaging cuts.

“Without drastic action to protect funding and significantly re-invest in youth services, we are

condemning young people in North Tyneside to become a lonely, lost generation with nowhere

to turn.”

The day-to-day impact of youth services often goes unnoticed by the public, but the consequences of these cuts cannot be underestimated. Cases of knife crime, mental health difficulties and isolation among young people continue to rise, while the number of services available to positively intervene and prevent such cases continues to decline.

Each year YMCA supports more than 33,500 young people through our youth work, with almost 8,000 participants involved in crime prevention and avoidance programmes.

In response to such overwhelming funding cuts, YMCA North Tyneside is asking the public to show their support in making young people the central focus of government action. By reinstating youth services funding to 2010/11 real term levels and introducing a national youth services strategy, government would enable local authorities to deliver necessary youth services locally and support their communities.

YMCA North Tyneside are asking the public to show their commitment by signing an online petition which can be found at www.ymca.org.uk/youth and raising the issue of youth services with their local MP. Together, we can ensure that the services, which provide a sense of belonging and keep young people safe, do not become a thing of the past.

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