Cuts to Dorset youth services to be reversed
A £100,000 fund could be used to support young people in Dorset
Last updated 11th Mar 2021
Dorset Council says it is working to improve services for young people – which could see some of the cuts imposed by the previous Dorset County Council reversed.
Some areas are still without a youth club with Weymouth and Portland among the worst affected, according to local councillors for the area.
Portland councillor Paul Kimber says the island once had a fantastic youth club on the Royal Manor site but that, and other clubs, have now been lost.
Weymouth councillor Clare Sutton says similar devastation to youth provision was also felt in the town and, largely, has not recovered although there are volunteer groups keeping services going in some areas.
She said she would welcome proposals to make more funding available and to simplify applying for grants but said that support needed to be targeted to areas which needed the most help.
Cllr Kimber said he would welcome anything which would improve youth provision for Portland:
“We need to get behind our young people and support them,” he told a Dorset Cabinet meeting.
The comments came during a discussion on the county’s current youth provision and what can be done to offer more support in the future.
The proposals include making a £100,000 fund more accessible through a simple grant-making process; creating a single place where young people can find out about youth activities and maximising the skills of the county’s eight targeted youth workers.
A survey discovered that while most centres were now operating well some still had problems with delays in the transfer of buildings, repairs and maintenance, financial concerns and attracting and keeping volunteers, especially since the pandemic.
Dorchester councillor Les Fry said he hoped the £100,000 fund would be used for direct work with young people, rather than in sorting out outstanding issues around some buildings.
Said the report:
“For those clubs and groups that are operating successfully the key themes are the determination and hard work of staff, volunteers and community support; partnership working; and other community groups using the space and successful funding bids. Support from town and parish councils was highlighted as particular beneficial.”
Issues which need further work include the integration of support, access to training, better communication and sharing good practice between groups – together with help in recruiting and retaining volunteers.