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DCMS refused request to bail out BYC ahead of closure

2 mins read Youth Work
The government refused pleas to provide emergency funding to prevent the closure of the British Youth Council (BYC) due to the “scale” of the charity’s financial difficulties, a letter to UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) members reveals.
Stuart Andrew MP: 'I was very sorry to learn about the closure of the British Youth Council'. Picture: UK Parliament
Stuart Andrew MP: 'I was very sorry to learn about the closure of the British Youth Council'. Picture: UK Parliament

The BYC announced its closure last month citing “financial challenges”.

Responding to an open letter from UKYP members raising concerns over the BYC’s closure - including the loss of its contract to run the UKYP - Stuart Andrew, minister for sport, gambling and civil society, said that DCMS knew the BYC was facing “significant financial difficulty” in February.

However, he added that “the scale of these challenges unfortunately meant that DCMS could not provide emergency funding as this would not meet the key standards of managing public money”.

Internal documents and recordings of staff meetings seen by CYP Now, reveal that BYC leaders informed staff of plans for a dramatic restructure on 13 March in a bid to save the organisation.

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