Youth services spending cut by three quarters in a decade, YMCA research shows

The new analysis finds that local authorities spent £372.12m on youth services in 2019/20 - six per cent less than over the previous year.

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This means that since 2010/11 funding for youth services has been cut by 73 per cent, researchers say.

They argue that cuts have come despite youth services being “at their most critical point in history” due to “the disproportionate and devastating impact of the pandemic on young people’s mental health”.

Research carried out by the YMCA in August last year, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, found that more than half (57 per cent) of young people felt that their mental health had worsened during lockdown, with 77 per cent feeling lonelier and more isolated.

Recent findings from NHS Digital cite that one in six children aged five to 16 are now identified as having a probable mental disorder, an increase from one in nine just three years ago.

“After suffering such disruption during their formative years, it is more important than ever for young people to have access to services and safe spaces for their personal, social and emotional development outside of home or school.

“These services are a key element in young people’s recovery, both now and into the future, and it is crucial that funding delivers on what they so desperately need,” the YMCA says, criticising the government’s delay in releasing the £500m Youth Investment Fund (YIF) promised in September 2019 by former Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid. 

Last week, minister for civil society Baroness Barran indicated that the YIF – originally earmarked to build and refurbish hundreds of youth centres – would be focused on supporting “innovation”. 

So far just £16.5m in post-pandemic support and £30m of capital funding has been released to youth services, with the rest likely to be linked to the outcome of the policy review which is being overseen by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and is due to report to ministers in May.

Denise Hatton, chief executive of YMCA England & Wales, said: “In our Out of Service report one year ago, YMCA warned that without significantly re-investing in youth services we would be condemning young people to become a lonely, lost generation with nowhere to turn. The traumatic impact of the pandemic, combined with faltering investment and continued cuts means that this warning is perilously close to becoming a reality.

“The government must deliver on its promises, such as those outlined in the Youth Investment Fund, and significantly re-invest in youth services right now in order to change the course of the future for thousands of anxious, isolated and vulnerable young people.

“While we appreciate that difficult decisions must be made in order to protect the financial health of the country as it recovers from the pandemic, now is the time for areas buckling under the strain of consistent underfunding to be held up and helped to rebuild in order to support their communities.

“With the right funding and strategic planning, youth services can be utilised to carefully and positively build young people’s confidence and prepare them for the future, ensuring that they are not left further behind.”

A government spokesperson said: "We recognise the vital role youth services play and are providing dedicated support to to help them manage the impact of the pandemic on young people.  

"We have provided more than £250 million of dedicated support for youth organisations, building on the £11 billion given to local authorities this year, who have a statutory duty to allocate funding to youth services in line with local needs."