In this month’s Youth Work Now magazine they have a spread on the cuts to the Youth Opportunity Fund, nationwide. This includes our LS£ash scheme, which, as readers of the blog know, is in a state of flux until funds are decided upon.
Here are some interesting extracts from the article:
“Decision makers have seen young people can be bang on in terms of organisation”
Kirsty Fraser, youth voice development worker, Worcester
In February 2010, the then-Department for Children, Schools and Families published an end of year report on the youth opportunity and youth capital funds. It found:
- 2.5 million young people were involved in or had benefited from the grants in the three years fto March 2009. The numbers of young people involved as decision makers and recorded as disadvantaged rose from 2,871 in 07/08 to 3,694 in 08/09
- From 08/09, the fifty most deprived areas received an additional £25m in youth opportunity fund and £22.6m in youth capital fund money
- Feedback fro young people showed that they felt they had gained a wide range of skills from their involvement, included social development, team working and decision making. Panel members valued the responsibility they had, felt respected and believed they made a difference
- Over time, panels were starting to fund fewer one-off events and a greater number of ambitious projects. They also found panels giving more thought to local priorities and disadvantaged groups
“Involving young people is not a luxury add-on, but fundamental to supporting them”
David Wright, cheif executive, Confederation of Heads of Young People’s Services
