The Mayor’s message to the Government today backs up Sian Berry’s long-term campaign to save London’s youth services and signals that he recognises that youth violence has to be treated as a public health issue. [1]
At the recent Mayor’s Question Time, Sian Berry AM highlighted again the need to save services that support young people and called on the Mayor to treat youth violence as a public health issue.
Green Party London Assembly Member Sian Berry said today:
“I’m glad the Mayor is saying now what my work in the London Assembly has so clearly highlighted. The massive cuts to youth services have contributed to the rise in knife violence by stripping our young people of opportunities and safe places to simply hang out with their friends.
“Government cuts have hit all London councils hard, but it’s time that London comes together, listening to campaigners, experts in this field, and young people and treat this as the public health issue it is.
“We must act to save youth services in London and do more to tackle the root causes of these crimes.
“London will not be able to arrest itself out of this problem. We need more youth workers and real investment in the future of our youth people.”
Sian Berry’s report London’s Lost Youth Services revealed:
- Total youth service cuts across London between 2011/12 and 2016/17 are now more than £28 million – an average of 34 per cent
- Councils plan to remove at least another £7.5 million from youth services in their upcoming 2017/18 budgets
- At least 457 youth worker jobs have been lost since 2011 – a staffing cut of 48 per cent
- 36 youth centres have closed across the city
Notes to editors
Sian is available for interview.
[1] Sadiq Khan: Government must get tough on the causes of violent crime, Jan 2018 https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/government-must-get-tough-to-prevent-violent-crime
[2] Mayor’s Question Time Dec 2017 Why are police showing pictures of knives to primary schools? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbyfi2SJh_E&t=128s
[3] London’s Lost Youth Services, Jan 2017 https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/assembly/sian-berry/londons-lost-youth-services-report
[4] Youth Service Cuts in London, what next? Mar 2017 https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/final_sian_berry_youth_services_update_mar2017.pdf
Sian Berry was elected as a Green member of the London Assembly in May 2016. She has been a councillor for Highgate ward in Camden since 2014.