Knowsley launches youth service mutual

Knowsley Youth Mutual (KYM) is the second department to be freed from local authority control, following in the footsteps of Kensington and Chelsea, which launched as a social enterprise in January.

KYM will deliver the region’s youth services, outdoor education and award programmes, as well as specialist support and early intervention schemes.

As a social enterprise, KYM will be able to access a variety of funding sources and trade its services on the open market, allowing it to generate income.

In addition, it will be able to invest any profit it makes back into youth service provision.

The community-owned mutual was established in an attempt to protect Knowsley’s youth offer and jobs within the department from cuts to local government funding.

Viv Murray, chair of the KYM shadow board, said: “It’s a really exciting day for everyone involved with the KYM and we are thrilled to be one of the first mutuals to exist in the country.

“Our vision for the future is to deliver services that meet the needs of young people and improve their life chances.

“We want to raise the aspirations of young people and empower them to engage and increase their influence.

“We want to be the best youth mutual in the North West and beyond and we’re confident that with the support of our staff and our young people members, we can achieve this.”