Youth workers fear their kids will become victims of violence as their centre is hit with brutal council funding cuts.
Teenagers using the service at YMCA in Bellshill, North Lanarkshire, have told how they face roaming the streets with nowhere else to go. The group, which helps vulnerable youths through its Early and Effective Intervention Service has been told it has lost around £100k per year through the programme.
It comes as the Daily Record's Our Kids, Our Future campaign calls on the Scottish Government to invest in more community support amidst a series of violent attacks on teens.
Ann-Marie Treacy, YMCA CEO, told the Record: "I am completely shocked at the decision to defund our service. Violence comes from kids being bored and unsettled and it comes from poverty.
"They need a different perspective to allow them to get back on the right track. Without us, the kids won't have anywhere else to go and will be put on the streets, where it is clearly no longer safe for them.
"To put children out there is tragic. Local kids are telling us they are scared of their peers. If they're vulnerable, they're either going to be a victim of violence or they are going to be caught up in it because of peer pressure.
"The recent surge in incidents reported in the Record shows that kids need services like this now more than ever. Their demand for more community resources is spot on. In order to tackle things like bullying and violence, it needs to be fixed in the community first."
The group reports that nine out of 10 kids using the facility have struggled with bullying. The Record visited the centre to speak to Bellshill teenagers, who have been left devastated about their support being stripped back.
They fear they will be put back on the streets where they have witnessed a spike in violent behaviour.
Lucy Cunningham, said: "We'd just be wandering around if it wasn't for coming here. That's what we did before. There's just nowhere else to go.
"It gives somewhere we can talk to people that we can trust. Without it, we either just hang about the town centre or Tesco and it can get really cold."
Euan Burns, 14, added: "It's scary that we have lost our funding because it's the only place that gives us stuff to do. I have made friends with that I didn't have before.There are also staff that I feel that I can speak to about things. It's a safe place."
Chloe Bentley, 13, commented: "I can speak to people that I can trust here. It gives us something to look forward to instead of just going out and walking around outside. I don't understand why there aren't more places like this for people my age."
YMCA will be given just 13 weeks' notice until the funds are stopped. Three youth workers will also be made redundant in the process.
Ann-Marie said: "The prospect of losing our staff is devastating. This will affect our most vulnerable children who will find it incredibly hard to transition elsewhere. Some of these young people need urgent attention in safe, community settings.
"The whole service and our one-to-one support for young people has been completely axed and we cannot afford to reinstate it ourselves. We will work to ensure we don't close, but there are going to be some serious changes to the way we provide help to those in need.
"I fear for the next steps and where these kids will end up."
Central Scotland MSP Monica Lennon echoed the Record's calls for the Scottish Government to ring-fence funding for youths
The Labour representative said: “The safety and wellbeing of young people need to be the number one priority here. At a time when we are hearing increased accounts of youth violence, we need to ensure that local communities have safe spaces for young people to turn to.
“Organisations such as the YMCA are even more important during this time with the cost of living crisis making it harder than ever for families to support children.
“The Scottish Government need to adequately fund local councils to avoid support being pulled from essential community services. I will be reaching out to organisation board members to offer further support”.
A North Lanarkshire Cuncil spokesperson said: “The council is of the view that the best support can be provided by moving the Early and Effective Intervention service in house. An in-depth review found this would provide a more responsive and locally-based, whole family approach to reduce or prevent further offending.
“The review also found that the level of young people’s engagement with the service has not met expectations. Given the annual cost of the service is more than £100,000, the review found that the service does not represent good value for money.”
Scottish Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training Jamie Hepburn said: “We recognise the important role councils have in delivering local youth work services – such as youth centres, youth groups and youth projects.
"This is why we are increasing the resources available to local government next year by £793 million through the 2023-24 Local Government Settlement.
“We are also taking forward work to produce a new National Youth Work Strategy which is due for publication in spring 2023. This will aim to improve outcomes for young people and recognise the role that the youth work sector has to play in supporting their wellbeing.”
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