As Christmas nears the devastation of the Youth Service continues. Hardly glad tidings, but news that ought to make us all the more determined to resolve afresh to keep up our struggle to defend youth work and services for ‘the common good’. So see the protest in London – info at Merry Christmas Boris!

On the broader front of public services in general the case of Northamptonshire makes for sobering reading.

BUDGET CUTS OF £148 MILLION WILL RESULT IN NORTHANTS ‘OUTSOURCING’ 95% OF STAFF

The most dramatic changes to public services for 125 years will see Northamptonshire County Council reduce its workforce from 4,000 to 150 people in a bid to carve £148 million out of its budget within the next five years.

Closer to home we find.

COUNCILS SLASH YOUTH AND CHILDREN’S CENTRES BY £200M

Spending on children’s centres and youth services has been slashed by more than £200m in the space of a year, government figures show.

Save Hull 2 Wheel Centre Chapman Street

Hull 2 wheel centre provides training and skills for children from the age of ten to learn to ride a motorcycle, it serves the community and children come from near and far to use this valuable service.

Walsall council chief urged to rethink million pound youth service cut

The planned 48 per cent cut to the council’s youth service budget will see youth clubs closed, dozens of youth workers sacked and spell the end of universal youth services open and accessible to all Walsall’s young people. 

And meanwhile across the waters

Ballygar set to lose its family resource centre

The closure will mean the loss of seven full-time jobs and placed in serious jeopardy such services for the local community as family support, Meals on Wheels, ‘friendly phone calls’, and ‘care and repair’ services for the elderly.

The news comes on top of closure in recent years of the VEC training centre which trained members of the Traveller community, closure of the Youth Work Ireland office, and the loss of the community welfare officer to the town.

Thanks to Pete sims, YouthWorkerJodieandGenna plus SIPTU for the links.