How will spending cuts affect the voluntary and community youth sector?

The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) has published Comprehensive Cuts, a report detailing the extent of cuts facing the voluntary and community sector. The publication is based on a survey of over 100 organisations conducted by NCVYS and Children and Young People Now magazine in September 2010.

The survey reveals the significant impact of the public sector cuts – the majority of charities reported that they are facing enormous cuts to their programmes, with more anticipated in the coming months. Nearly 70% of respondents had experienced a drop in income in the previous 12 months and nearly 10% of the organisations surveyed had already lost half of their income. The survey reveals that services targeted at vulnerable young people are at risk – with projects working with NEETS, young people at risk of offending, sexual health counselling services and training for BAME young women all being scrapped.

Almost 90% of the respondents said that they thought that the young people they work with will be negatively affected by the cuts and predicted a reduction in the loss of opportunities, support and advice. It was also suggested that young people will also be affected by having less qualified staff working with them.

In related news, further sweeping cuts were announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review. The cross-Government cuts are likely to have a major impact on services for children and young people. The following announcements are particularly worrying with regard to participation related activities:

Councils will see an average 7.1% annual fall in their budgets, and ring-fencing of local authority revenue grants will end
The Department for Education is cutting the non-school budget by 12% in real terms by 2015, this includes ‘rationalising and ending centrally directed programmes for children, young people and families’
The Education Maintenance Allowance programme will end and will be replaced with targeted support ‘focused on the most disadvantaged children’
There will be "unit cost reductions in the 16 to 19 participation budget".

Keep track of the impact of the spending cuts on the voluntary and community sector with the NCVYS’s Financial Monitoring blog.

Find out more about the Comprehensive Spending Review
Download the Comprehensive cuts report from NCVYS

Thu, 04/11/2010 - 12:27