Research suggests this is a growing problem – a study by Action with Communities in Rural England shows a third of the 10,000 village halls in England reduced services for young people last year, likely due to funding cuts which has seen spending by councils in rural areas plummet to a fraction of a decade ago.
A new report by the National Youth Agency (NYA) highlights the scale of the challenges facing rural youth work and recommends a series of changes to ensure young people can access services and support in the future (see Analysis). It calls for investment in mobile youth work units so that services can travel to many different communities across a region, extending 4G and fast broadband to more rural areas so that the young person who lives in a cottage five miles from the village centre can access digital youth work sessions, and repurposing existing, often underused, community facilities to make them young-people friendly.
Some aspects of rural life – for example, limited public transport, few shops and narrow country lanes – will always be barriers for young people, but community and public sector leaders must do more to ensure they have the opportunity to meet peers and mentors, participate in activities and seek support for problems in a place that’s accessible to them, be it at a youth club or virtual space.
Tish Feilden, the therapist behind Jamie’s Farm, a network of therapeutic farm-stays for disadvantaged children, explains that the loss of youth clubs has been particularly damaging for young people in rural communities and has left many wanting to get away. Since the pandemic, her project has helped local young people learn new skills and see a future for themselves in the countryside.
With the tourism and hospitality industries having an uncertain future due to the pandemic, young people need more employment opportunities in rural economies. Employers, community leaders and youth organisations must work together to offer more projects like Jamie’s Farm. And youth workers – from both the voluntary and statutory sectors – could play a crucial role in helping young people access them.
