Flagship Salmon centre in staff cull as funds dry up

The centre in Bermondsey, south London, was cited as a model of best practice in the Labour government's Aiming High strategy. It only opened renovated facilities funded through a £1.3m MyPlace grant in February this year.

But the centre has struggled to replace five funding streams due to end in March. The Youth Sector Development Fund, the Football Foundation, Aiming High, London Youth Offer and the Arts Council together provide 80 per cent of the organisation's income.

"There doesn't seem to be more funding on the horizon," said Mark Blundell, executive director of Salmon. "What's going to happen to these facilities if funding isn't there?"

Jeremy Glover, chief executive of OnSide North West and former chief executive of the Bolton Lads & Girls Club, said private sector investment can help maintain youth provision. "It's not about youth workers doing it alone - you need the backing of the private sector," he said.

Shadow education secretary Andy Burnham said the government needed to work with communities. "The MyPlace scheme was designed to give local communities the youth centres they need to deliver a lasting impact on future generations," he said.

A DfE spokeswoman said: "We are considering the future of the MyPlace programme and expect to make an announcement shortly. It is for the [Salmon centre's] trustees to find their own way forward. We know organisations can prosper even in difficult times - for example, by scaling up use of volunteers, working in partnership with the private sector or by identifying new funding streams."