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Divert National Citizen Service cash to youth services, council leaders urge

1 min read Youth Work
The LGA is calling for the tens of millions of pounds previously spent on the National Citizen Service (NCS) to be devolved to councils to fund youth services.
Youth services need a government funding lifeline, says Arooj Shah, chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board. Picture: Jamie Hodgkinson

The appeal has been made at the National Children and Adult Services Conference in Liverpool which draws to a close on Friday.

It follows the government announcement earlier this month of a National Youth Strategy and the ending of the NCS.

The NCS had a budget of £54.2 million for the current financial year.

The LGA is calling for funding to be invested into open access hubs, responding to local need and developed alongside young people to provide safe spaces for them.

A survey by the Local Government Association (LGA) found that two thirds of councils have not increased spending on youth services in the past five years. During that period, revenue expenditure for overall youth services has stayed the same or decreased in 61% of councils.

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