Members of the Conservative-majority Grants Committee rejected 25 priorities out of 80 for the April 2007 budget, including crime-reduction initiatives aimed at the young, and gun and knife-crime prevention work for 11- to 24-year-olds.
Chris Stanley, head of youth policy at crime-reduction charity Nacro, said: "There is currently a lot of public concern about youth crime and gang culture. Funding organisations should recognise that they need to show dedication and commitment to maintaining services that stop young people getting involved in crime."
There could be further cut-backs if a proposal by Conservative committee members to reduce the grant from 27m to 18m is accepted (YPN, 30 August-5 September, p6). The Association of London Government's Leaders' Committee will make a final decision on this, and the other priorities, in October.
Tania Pouwhare, co-chair of the Voluntary Sector Forum, which is campaigning against the cut, said: "The association's needs analysis suggests it should raise the grant, rather than cut it."
The committee accepted proposals to fund lesbian, gay and transgender work, ChildLine, the 2012 Olympics, and homelessness and anti-prostitution projects. Other funding proposals rejected included Black and minority ethnic groups, social exclusion reduction work for disabled children, young carers, looked-after children, and those at risk of sexual exploitation and domestic violence.
