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Castlehaven Community Association members Joan Byers, Mena Charlick, Jake Sumner, Abdul Quadir, Eleanor Botwright, Larraine Revah and Anita Lake protesting outside the Town Hall on Monday |
Cuts to youth services will cause ‘nightmare summer’
YOUTH services in three of the borough’s most deprived wards have been refused grants from the council.
Lib Dem and Conservative chiefs heard from youth workers that they feared a “nightmare summer” would follow unless more funding was found.
Celebrated youth club Castlehaven Community Centre Association in Camden Town is one of the youth clubs facing a budget cut.
Director Eleanor Botwright said in a deputation to Monday’s full council: “We serve the second most deprived ward in the borough and the money isn’t going anywhere else. Our area will suffer.”
She said the loss could force her to sack two key workers.
Another youth club that will see its entire budget axed within weeks – unless it can find an alternative benefactor – is the Queen’s Crescent Community Centre in Gospel Oak ward.
Cuts there would cause disorder to shoot up, according to the club’s Mick Farrant, chairman of the board.
“Of all the things you want to cut in a deprived ward, youth work ain’t one,” he said.
“Forty per cent of the borough is under the age of 16. Last Friday there were four very serious incidents outside the centre. This is nothing to do with politics – we’re just very worried about being able to provide youth services.”
The Fresh Bar, a popular health club and juice bar in Highgate Newtown closed last month after money ran out.
“This is a terrible decision,” said chairwoman Maggie Cosin.
“It was the type of service young people asked for and then used.”
Centre manager Nick Roxan added: “Fresh was a real gateway for young people. They liked using the gym and working out. We had young people who would not come into a youth club coming in regularly.”
The coalition insists the funding changes are not cuts – more an attempt to spread money across the borough.
But unusually its not just Labour councillors who are arguing against the policy.
Conservative councillor Lulu Mitchell and the Lib Dems’ Jill Fraser both came out fighting this week, warning the cuts could lead to a nightmare summer if young people in their wards had nowhere to go.
“It’s outrageous that Gospel Oak didn’t get anything,” said Cllr Mitchell. “I totally don’t agree with this ‘ticking box’ system. Community centre’s know what they need – the system must be more flexible.”
Cllr Fraser added: “I need to stand up for Haverstock. Robbing Peter to pay Paul does not help the kids in my area and they are the worst off in Camden.
“We need more money not less.”
Lib Dem children service’s chief Councillor John Bryant said: “What we’re doing is spreading youth funding more evenly throughout the borough and maximising support. Spending in the past has been concentrated on Labour’s favoured friends.”
The youth clubs which lost out had poorer quality bids than their competitors, he added.
“The bid from Gospel Oak didn’t qualify on quality grounds. Some of Castlehaven’s funding went to Maiden Lane, who put in a better quality bid – unfortunately we didn’t get a deputation from them saying thank you.”
He said where there were “gaps” in provision, the youth service, Connexions, would offer support. |
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