A piece by Laura McCardle in CYPN begins:

A group of youth workers who recently lost their jobs due to council cuts have started a campaign to put youth service funding on a more sustainable footing. The group, who were made redundant by Bradford Metropolitan District Council in June after the youth services department’s budget was cut by 36 per cent, are calling for youth provision to be made statutory, with a legal duty for councils to link funding for the service to the number of young people in the area.

Read in full – Campaigners seek statutory status for youth services

The group led by Pete Sims, a former Bradford youth worker and senior manager,  is urging workers and supporters to sign a 38 Degrees petition, STATUTORY YOUTH SERVICE –

Ensure that our young people receive a statutory funded youth service fom all local authorities that make up the UK

Of course the youth work unions, perhaps particularly CYWU/UNITE, have long argued for statutory status, but in these days of on-line campaigning this initiative is well worth supporting in the constant effort to keep youth work on the agenda.