Youth charities “at breaking point”, warns Labour

Labour has warned that youth charities are “at breaking point” following the publication of a report showing that one in four of the organisations will not be able to meet their running costs in the run-up to Christmas.

Commenting today on a report from the National Youth Agency (NYA), which described how charities are “running on empty”, Labour’s Cat Smith MP slammed the government for the lack of support provided to youth services.

She argued: “Youth services are a vital lifeline, particularly at this time of crisis when young people are more isolated than ever. But youth charities are at breaking point, with many not expecting to make it past Christmas.”

The shadow minister for voter engagement and youth affairs added: “Youth services were already under severe pressure before the pandemic because of Tory cuts. This government is failing a generation of young people.”

The document by the NYA highlighted that three in four youth charities in England will have run down their reserves by Christmas as the organisations have seen their incomes fall by half or more in the pandemic.

Half of the service providers reported that they would not be able to meet operational costs in the next 12 months. Seven in ten have lost staff capacity, with one in three expecting to make redundancies this year.

The NYA highlighted that smaller organisations are particularly at risk with the furlough scheme or redundancy not an option for much of their workforce as many of their staff are either on casual employment or working as volunteers.

The body also stressed the impact of cuts to funding for local authorities on youth organisations, explaining that for every £16 slashed from local services £1 falls on the youth work charities.

The NYA has called on the government to provide support for the winter, the current national lockdown in England and for any regional tiered Covid restrictions that will be implemented after December 2nd. It has called for:

• “Early release of youth investment funds to training youth workers and up-skill volunteers to support vulnerable young people now and to prepare the ground for 2021, through Covid-19 and beyond;
• “Additional funding for youth charities to secure front line services and their capacity to meet young people’s needs, amplified by COVID-19 extended over time;
• “Strengthened guidance and ring-fenced funding for local authorities, to invest in youth services – recognised as essential services which transform young people’s lives; and
• “The inclusion of young people with their voices heard in the evidence, decision-making and response to Covid-19, to be treated fairly and ambitious for their future.”