Budget cuts that will put youth work at risk

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Ben Glazebrook is the service manager of the Young People's Centre and development co-ordinator of the Brighton and Hove Youth Collective

Youth services as we know them will cease to exist if budget cuts proposed by Brighton and Hove City Council are voted through.

Those affected include young people in some of our most disadvantaged communities and equalities groups supporting young people who are LGBT, BME or with SEND (special educational needs).

Community and voluntary sector (CVS) provision faces a 100% in council youth funding.

Our delivery will have to stop. These cuts will see the closure of youth centres across the city, along with the end of youth clubs, holiday clubs, and specific activities for particular groups of young people.

The delivery of services, particularly to those young people least able to pay or able to pay for alternatives, would be significantly reduced.

Links with community groups, work with schools, and liaison with local action teams and residents' groups will end.

Communities across the city could lose valuable community buildings used not just by young people but used by other groups who may also lose their usual meeting places.

Potentially hundreds of volunteers would lose the opportunity to support and contribute to their communities. So many people who receive support to help them manage their lives will see a drastic reduction in service.