Enfield's decision to keep investing in young people will pay dividends

Many councillors attending meetings with the local Safer Neighbourhoods teams reported that "young people hanging around" was a recurring issue raised by some members of the public. With that as a backdrop, there was a resolute determination to do something on the back of the local elections last year.

The first requirement to make things happen is political and financial commitment. I am delighted that my colleagues, in the face of stringent national cuts, took the firm view that the youth service should be protected. Indeed, we have allowed for some modest growth in the form of additional detached youth workers and the development in November 2010 of an additional youth club on the Ladderswood estate near Arnos Grove, which has helped to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour locally. The certainty that the youth service would be protected also allowed key strategic decisions to be made and gave staff some security about their future.