Community interest company to run youth services in Somerset

The organisation, which recruits young volunteers to work alongside youth workers has now added Crewkerne Town Council to its portfolio.

It is also due to start delivering youth services in Ilminster in September and has already been handed town and parish council contracts to carry out youth work in Chard and South Petherton.

Active Learning and Skills employs 15 part-time youth workers who work with around 60 young voluntary workers. The organisation’s work in Crewkerne will be based at the George Reynolds Centre, a community and youth facility that is due to open in November.

Pete May, Active Learning and Skills executive director, said: “We do things differently to the county council and have a far greater focus on involving young people in running the service. The young volunteers we have run sessions with our youth workers on a variety of themes.”

The move comes as Somerset County Council is planning to slash its youth services budget by 75 per cent.

Last year councillors agreed to cut youth and community services spending from £3m to £814,000 by 2014. This year’s budget is £1.3m, which includes £100,000 to help voluntary groups to run youth services.

The county council had planned to withdraw all its in-house youth work services by April this year, but following a consultation has set a new date of April 2014.

It will continue to provide council-run youth work services in Bridgwater, Yeovil and Taunton but has dramatically cut its workforce.

From September this year, the county council will employ just eight full-time equivalent youth workers, compared to 73 full time equivalent posts in 2010.

Tony McMahon, lead member for children and families, said: “Somerset County Council has had to make some difficult decisions with regard to youth services but we are committed to the continued support of the charitable and voluntary sector who are expanding their activities and providing excellent services for young people.”