YOF and YCF Delivery Guidance

Why do we need new guidance?

The two funds have just been renewed for the period 2008-2011, so there's some tweaking and restating of emphasis based on the lessons of the past two years. There's also a brand new element to the programme called Youth Capital Fund Plus, which involves giving £452,000 to each of the 50 local authorities where crime, disadvantage and antisocial behaviour are particular problems. Specific guidance for that cash is included here.

But what's the guidance trying to achieve?

The verdict of young people's minister Beverley Hughes is that the picture remains patchy. Using the time-honoured formulation of politicians, she says that while some local authorities have done very well, others have done less well. So, with the new round of spending, she's creating "an even stronger responsibility for all local authorities to put young people in the driving seat". More young people must take leading roles in the strategic management of the funds and councils must make full use of voluntary sector organisations to reach out to the most excluded groups.