Calls for more youth clubs to pull young people away from violence and crime

Charities across Staffordshire and Cheshire are calling for more places like youth clubs to pull young people away from things like violence and crime.

"All youth provision, whether that be youth clubs, community centres, people going into schools and community centres - that's all a preventative measure" said Tegan Gough, youth leader at YMCA North Staffordshire in Stoke-on-Trent.

The Local Government Association says that before to the pandemic, local authority funding for youth services in England and Wales saw a real terms decline of 70% between 2010/11 and 2018/19.

Their figures also state that since 2010, youth clubs and youth workers have dropped 69%, with more than 4,500 less youth workers and 750 youth centres closed.

The Local Government Association also reports that 17% of these venues face closure as a result of COVID-19, while 88% are anticipating cutting their services.

Tegan said: "If we can engage all young people in positive diversionary activities then they are less likely to turn to knife crime, or gangs or county lines."

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