Then came the news that a number of local authorities were cutting youth work budgets and stopping grant aid for voluntary youth groups. The battle lines are being drawn for the future of youth services in this country.
So is Loughton correct in his assertion? The truth is that he was only saying out loud what many of us have been whispering to one another for some time. Quite a lot of statutory youth services aren't that good. And it's about time we started doing something about it.
Now, before you rip up this page (or punch your computer screen if you are reading this online), I should make it clear that there are also lots of very effective, well-run statutory youth services out there. And plenty of voluntary youth organisations are failing young people - they also deserve to be culled when the next government wields its spending axe. But, by and large, those of us operating in the voluntary sector are existing through independent means, and not consuming much of the £539m spent on youth services by local authorities in England last year.
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