One cheer for the Criminal Records Bureau, which has become self-funding after several years (YPN, 7-13 February, p3). Is it reasonable to ask if this has anything to do with the multiple checks required for anyone working with more than one group? So far the record is, to my knowledge, seven checks for one person in one year.
Not only is this a ludicrous waste of time and money, but it also creates yet another barrier for some types of volunteering. Efforts have been made to create a pool of specialists who can work with groups that don't have these skills in-house. This tactic fits with strategies such as Every Child Matters and the Manifesto for Learning Outside the Classroom, but is being nullified by a requirement, in some cases, for a check each time a person is prepared to offer a day or two of their time.
- Chris Johnson, chair, North of England Activities and Training
INCLUSION NEEDS FUNDING
The criticism from the Institute for Public Policy Research's Julia Margo that the Scouts represent "white, middle- class young people" (YPN, 17-23 January, p15) certainly isn't new, and like all statements about race and class used to justify discrimination, it needs to be treated very carefully.
The Scout Association is a voluntary organisation in the true sense of the word, meaning its leaders are not paid and every penny spent has to be raised either by the young people themselves or from the community. Unlike the "white, upper-middle-class" public school cadet units, the Government does not use taxpayers' money to pay for their uniform or activities, nor as far as I am aware is any statutory youth service willing to use council taxpayers' money to subsidise Scouting activities for "hard to reach" young people. This lack of access to funding streams has given Scouting a stronger presence in upper working-class suburbs than economically disadvantaged communities.
So the challenge for Margo and the youth service establishment is that, having established that uniformed organisations like the Scouts provide young people with better life chances than youth clubs (in the report Freedom's Orphans), are they going to develop meaningful partnerships that will enable disadvantaged young people to benefit from Scouting? Or are they going to continue with forcing the movement to be increasingly dependent on the sponsorship of religious organisations?
- Tony Ransley, development adviser, Pinner and Headstone Scouts
AND THE VOLUNTARY GROUPS?
I read with a great deal of interest your recent supplement about youth work in Southeast England (YPN, 14-20 February, p25). It painted an accurate picture only if you feel that local authorities are the only providers of youth services to young people. I suspect that our experience in Hampshire is repeated across the region, in which the local authority is an essential provider but by no means the only provider.
I work for a voluntary organisation that supports youth clubs and community voluntary projects. We are also an active member of Hampshire Council for Voluntary Youth Services (HCVYS), which represents a range of similar organisations including uniformed and faith-based youth work providers. HCVYS's 2006 census shows that the 25 voluntary organisations in membership provide 2,410 points of delivery staffed by 10,492 adults. They have a total membership of 115,000 young people - more than 38 per cent of the five to 25 age range. We worked out how much it would cost to provide this service using local authority pay scales and it comes to 100,747,380. Given that Hampshire County Council spends about 4m on its youth service, you can see where my assertion that the voluntary sector is the major provider comes from.
- Andy Upson, chief executive, Youth Clubs Hampshire and Isle of Wight
GOOD GRAMMAR IS A LIFE SKILL
It is important for young people to know when good grammar is necessary and when it's fine to communicate informally (Should youth workers promote correct grammar? YPN, 14-20 February, p12). Language skills are part of personal and social development, and vital to getting good jobs. If youth workers are supporting young people to become independent adults, they should be enabling them to communicate effectively.
- Helen Hibbert, regional co-ordinator, Partnership for Young London
We welcome your views. Please send letters, including address and phone number to: The editor, Young People Now, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP or email ypnmagazine@haymarket.com. We reserve the right to edit letters for publication.
