Sarah Barker, from Dunswell is a student and youth club worker ...
From recent news reports it has become apparent that youth clubs are soon to be in fast decline due to cuts made by the central and local government.
In the past week we have seen many cuts that have started happening in Lincolnshire, but this is only the start.
With more and more service cuts to be made, we are beginning to ask the question of what the country expects our young people to be doing if these vital services close.
Many young people rely on local youth clubs to share issues they may be facing, in a safe, secure environment and also use it as a place to both socialise and learn to interact with other young people.
Where do the councils expect young people to go once these vital centres close due to the cuts?
From what I have seen so far, there has been no thought of any replacement services for young people if these plans for the youth centres fall through.
Youth clubs are not just places for young people to 'get them off the streets', they give our future generations a place to enjoy themselves away from any problems they may be facing in their personal lives, be it at home or at school.
From working in a youth centre in East Yorkshire, I know how important a centre is to not only a young person but also their whole family.
Knowing that their child is in a safe environment is such an important thing for a parent; it reassures them that their child is away from trouble, while also being able to enjoy themselves.
For less wealthy families, youth centres also provide facilities which may be vital for the young person education and welfare.
It is all good the Government saying that only cuts will be made, but with some small youth centres already being planned to close, due to the cuts, it will not be long before they are gone altogether.
By making cuts in youth centres, this will only increase expenses in other services are the young people have nowhere to go for support, help or social activity.
If these are the people of our future, should we not be giving them the most opportunities we possibly can, rather than taking everything away from them?
Many centres also provide awards for young people to work on and achieve, such as the Duke of Edinburgh award – enabling young people to enhance many skills they will need in later life and also gives them a chance to build up their CV.
With all these cuts, all I can see is a future generation of unhappy people as they have had vital services taken away from them at an important stage in their lives.
