Publication from Siân Berry: London's lost youth services 2020

Sian Berry's new research shows that further cuts have been made to youth services in London.

This research for 2020 therefore serves as a snapshot of the position in London before the crisis. It shows that the trend of shrinking budgets for youth work had not gone away, despite efforts from the Mayor's office to plug some of the gaps from years of councils struggling to fund them. Young people have, ever since 2011, found it harder and harder to access the help and support that youth services and youth workers provide.

Findings also show:

• Since 2011-12, at least £35.5 million has been removed from council youth services budgets
• Another £600,000 is currently planned to be removed in the 2020-21 budget year
• Comparing the earliest data to the most recent data from all councils shows a net loss of 733 youth worker jobs
• Shows a net loss of 101 youth centres since 2011-2012

Sian Berry set out key recommendations to tackle this issue:

• The Mayor of London should commit to support for the Young Londoners Fund on a permanent basis.
• The Government must help councils with restored funding to bring youth services back to at least pre-austerity levels.

NOTE: Newham Council supplied the information requested via FOI after the publication date. Their response has been added to this page (linked below) but is not reflected in the data in the report.