Save The Warren: Hull Daily Mail launches campaign to support youth charity

• How The Warren changes - and saves - lives

• The Mail says: The Warren must be saved

IT HAS fought to help the most vulnerable young people in Hull for more than 30 years.

Now, East Yorkshire is being called upon to fight for The Warren, which helps young people battling homelessness, mental health issues, drugs and alcohol misuse and much more as it faces possible closure.

At a time when the need for its services is as important as ever, it is facing crippling cuts, which could not just lead to job cuts, but the closure of its doors.

Janet Kent, deputy co-ordinator at The Warren, said: "The users are devastated and want to fight and campaign to keep it open.

"We've not just turned lives around but saved lives through the services offered here."

The centre gets up to 100 people through its doors each day and offers a range of services, which include childcare, music and arts programmes, and counselling sessions, to young people in the city.

However, the charity has seen its funding cut by almost three-quarters in the past three years.

A spokesman from The Warren said: "Short- term, because of the austerity measures, we are under pressure and need to raise as much money as possible. Any cuts to The Warren has an impact on the most vulnerable in the city.

"We've been hit by the cuts over the last three or four years.

"I know it's not the council's fault as the situation is dire for themselves, however it is about where they make the cuts. The Warren helps the most vulnerable young people.

"It offers the only free counselling service for young people as far as I'm aware.

"The Warren has been helping people for 30 years – some of these people helped are now pushing 50."

Since news of its funding problems spread, concerned people have rushed to offer their help and have vowed to organise gigs and other fundraisers.

A campaign has also been set up, with people able to donate £2, £5 or £10 by texting WARR00 with the amount to 70070 or by visiting The Warren's website.

The spokesman said: "We've had lots of support, some from unusual supporters in the business community.

"We have to scrap for every penny in a desperate bid to keep the doors open.

"We have some exciting plans for the future if the funding is there, but all that depends on the short term.

"Hull City Council is the core funder on a year by year basis.

"Next month, there will potentially be job losses. We only have a staff of 17.

"We need to live to fight another day to secure those jobs.

"Next month we don't want to have to be turning young people away who are desperately in need of support."

Councillor Terry Geraghty, Hull City Council's portfolio holder for leisure, culture and youth facilities, said: "As part of the Youth Commissioning Programme, youth services for 14 to 19-year-olds have been re-tendered.

"Funding has not been withdrawn but, as current contracts with providers have come to an end, the council is in the process of re-commissioning youth services, to ensure what is provided meets the needs of young people in the city."

Hull West and Hessle MP Alan Johnson said: "The Warren has, throughout my 17 years as an MP in Hull, worked with many of the most desperate, isolated and poorest young people in the city.

"They've always been a city-wide project, although based in my constituency, but they've never been an 'orthodox' youth club. All staff are expected to work actively alongside young people, and it's through such approaches that they have a unique ability to gain the trust and involvement of those they serve, many of whom have lost any faith in formal organisations.

"The Warren's work on child protection, alternative activities to crime, drugs and developing potential has been evaluated and praised for years.

"Indeed, people have come from all around the country, and sometimes from around the world, to see how The Warren operates.

"All this is now in jeopardy. While I understand the enormous problems faced with cuts to the budget, this does not explain why The Warren has, for the first time, been designated as a project that works in west Hull only.

"Given the astonishing work that The Warren has done across the city, I hope it will be redesignated as city-wide, and restore at least some of the funding that's been cut."

Hull East MP Karl Turner said: "It is really sad that cuts by central Government could see the closure of this charity.

"The Warren provides a number of services and support for young people who are struggling with a cross section of issues.

"It is vital that young people are able to access advice on: housing, relationships, sexual and mental health and The Warren has provided this and much more for many years.

"Young people are having a tough time in Hull and it is really disappointing that The Warren has had its funding withdrawn.

"It is wonderful that this campaign is being supported by local people and I wish it every success."

Hull North MP Diana Johnson said: "The fact is that the threat to the future of The Warren is just one of the many grim consequences of Hull City Council having its central government funding unfairly slashed by the coalition more deeply than local authorities in wealthier areas.

"With Hull losing a quarter of its budget between 2010 and next year, the threat to the Warren is not due to a local authority that has supported them for decades suddenly becoming hostile.

"The Lottery funding is good news and now it's important to identify other imaginative possible sources of money to make The Warren sustainable for the long term."

The Warren has operated in Hull for more than 30 years. The story of the city centre charity began with the huge rise in youth unemployment of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the Humberside Youth Association (HYA) met with Hull and Humberside councils to discuss what could be done to provide support and activities to young people who were out of work, living in poverty, homeless and/or facing other issues.

This centre became The Warren, so-called because its original premises at 100 Alfred Gelder Street, with its confusing variety of rooms and corridors, resembled one.

When The Warren moved to its current location at Queen's Gardens, after a £220,000 partnership bid to improve facilities and equipment, the name was retained.

In 1988, The Warren became independent of HYA and has been a registered charity in its own right ever since.