Youth services key to cutting crime and loneliness

A new YMCA report has found that over half of young people feel that a primary purpose of youth services should be to keep young people off the streets.

However, despite acknowledging their importance, only 50 per cent of those young people were able to identify any youth services near them. As a result, 32 per cent of responding young people raised concerns that spending time with friends outside of school was limited as they did not feel safe on the streets. They also said that fear of being a victim of crime (22 per cent) and knife crime specifically (17 per cent) stopped them spending time with friends away from school. This comes as almost a fifth wanted more youth crime interventions locally.

Aside from crime prevention, additional findings revealed that a third of young people have concerns about their future, with the opportunity to develop new skills and help improve confidence and self-esteem listed among the top reasons why youth services are important to them. However, the main reason highlighted was the chance to have fun and make friends (57 per cent), something that should be fundamental to the life of every young person.

Research released by YMCA earlier this year uncovered a 70 per cent real-terms decline in funding across England and Wales since 2010.

Denise Hatton, chief executive of YMCA England & Wales, said: “While young people are forced to bear the brunt of drastic and increased cuts, they are expected to do so quietly and without consequence. These findings show that what they are crying out for are the very things youth services are specifically designed to provide. Every young person deserves a safe space, a trusted adult and the opportunity to enjoy being young. Young people are telling us what they need – in their own words – and in order to support them now and in the future, they must be listened to and acted upon.”