Over the last fortnight we’ve endured news of further swingeing cuts to local authority Youth Services.

Worcestershire County council has approved plans to slash its youth service budget by 60 per cent over the next three years. 

Havering council has approved plans to outsource its youth service in a move that will save more than £1m over the next two years.

Camden council in London has announced plans to cut £1.6m from its youth services budget, blaming reductions in funding from central government.

Dorset County council  has announced plans to close all 22 of its youth centres in order to make savings of £1m. 

In all these cases we hear the usual apologetics –  the need to target resources and intervene early, while the voluntary sector will fill the void. There’s been an angry response to this latest round of devastation on our Facebook page, including information on cuts elsewhere. For example Brent council has reduced the budget from £1.4 million to £400,000, whilst Lancashire is considering significant budget savings.

One contributor to the debate comments,

So sad to see this. I was a youth worker in Dorset for many years, working in several different venues and later training other part time youth workers. We did some cracking stuff and I remain in contact with many of the young people who are now adults with their own children. A very retrograde move by Dorset County Council.