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Celia Greenwood |
Youth funding cuts ‘could spark summer crimewave’
Arts college director warns of fallout from slashed holiday activities
A SUMMER of teenage crime could be on the way after Town Hall cuts to youth services, a top children’s director has warned.
Celia Greenwood, director of the Weekend Arts College (WAC), which worked with more than 800 youngsters last summer, many of whom had criminal records, has seen the college being forced to halve its summer activities this year after funding was slashed.
She believes Camden should be preparing itself for a “very worrying summer” following a spring of funding cutbacks which have left many youth clubs under threat of closure.
Ms Greenwood, who is also acting chief executive of Interchange Studios in Belsize Park, said: “There is a very close correlation between kids getting into trouble and what’s on offer for them. It seems ironic, at a time when there is so much worry and concern about our youth, that we have less money to do something with them.
“We’ve got nothing like the scope of funding we used to get and that means a very worrying summer. Much of what we do prevents young people from joining the criminal groups.”
The repercussions of the borough-wide “lack of provision” would be far-reaching, said Ms Greenwood, but it would be the young that would suffer most.
She added: “We work a lot with young people who feel disempowered in their lives. When they come to us they are really talented, motivated and enthusiastic – they attain excellence. Now they won’t have anything positive.”
The situation is the same in many of Camden’s youth clubs. The Highgate Newtown Juice Bar has closed while youth centres in Castlehaven Road and at the Roundhouse, once hives of youth activity, have warned their options have been limited by a lack of support from the Town Hall.
Ms Greenwood said WAC would turn to private investors next year.
“Considering what you pay into the public purse these are the bare bones of what they should be delivering,” she added.
Labour councillors have joined parents in calling on the Liberal Democrat and Conservative coalition to reverse their “undermining” cuts and will press the issue at Monday’s full council meeting.
But Matt Sanders, Lib Dem councillor for Belsize Park ward, said there had been no cuts to youth services overall, only changes.
He said: “The money in the pot for youth provision has actually been increased, but it is not just given to the same groups year after year.
“There are wider problems [in our community] – it’s not as simple as just running another cooking class in Queen’s Cresent.” |
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