Youth funds improve community cohesion, finds report

The funds designed to empower disadvantaged young people, have provided £335m of funding since 2006, and will run until 2011.

Youth Opportunity and Youth Capital Funds End Year Report 2008-9 said almost 2.5 million young people have been involved in the funds. It said: "Local areas report improvements in inter-generational relationships and community cohesion and increasing positive perceptions. Areas have also demonstrated the potential of funds to reduce antisocial behaviour in communities by engaging more young people in the determination of activities and through provision of activities that are able to engage harder to reach groups."

The report is based on based on visits to local authorities and analysis of around 150 end year reports provided by Government Offices and local authorities. 

But youth workers posting on CYP Now's forum have been sceptical that the views of young people, who are supposed to be involved in bidding for and distributing the grants, have been sufficiently taken into account.

One forum member said: "I picked up an application pack last week and was told that the scoring criteria favours applications which offer accredited outcomes and Friday/Saturday evening delivery. Is this really giving young people the ‘power to decide how this funding should be spent'?"

Another added: "Anything that is meant to be led by young people but has big piles of money attached to it does in my opinion seem to get manipulated by the powers that be."