Young People Sold Short

3.00.00pm GMT Thu 18th Feb 2010

The new Tory administration at County Hall passed their first annual budget at yesterday's Full Council meeting.

The cuts that the Tories are making in order to deliver a 0% council tax increase will have a damaging effect on young people and their opportunities to undertake positive activities in Taunton. They include;

• reducing the number of youth workers and grants to voluntary youth groups by £50,000

• removing careers advice for all young people and additional support for the most needy young people, saving £100,000

• taking £131,000 from providing positive activities for vulnerable young people and £70,000 from local service teams

and

• taking a further £166,000 from preventative services for children which provide support before they get into trouble or start truanting from school.

Cllr Claire Gordon, speaking at the Council meeting said:

"These cuts of over half a million pounds will have a real impact on children and young people in Taunton. What's worse is the most vulnerable children will be at greatest risk. Everybody in our community says their top priority is more positive things for young people to do. They'd also like more PCSOs and youth workers to stop young people causing anti-social behaviour and to build positive relationships.

"Why don't the Tories listen to people in Taunton and invest in young people rather than make cuts? Young people only get one chance to get a decent start in life and the Tories cuts will stop many young people from starting out on the right track. Ultimately that will cost the young people and the community far more."

ENDS