BY JACK WELCH

THE decision from a public meeting by Dorset County Council to strip funding of its 22 youth centres across the county is set to have a lasting impact on youth work for many children and young people growing up in the area.

The decision itself, considering the strong financial pressures to reduce its overall spending by £20 million in the next year, sadly looked inevitable as other alternative measures to maintain youth clubs was simply ruled out as not being viable.

This included the protection of buildings in areas of deprivation, including Weymouth and Portland, where the community has benefited from the presence of clubs like STEPS and its high quality facilities, thanks to a £3 million investment it received not too long ago.

While the council’s efforts can be appreciated to consult members of the public, with 1,300 young people themselves participating on the online survey or on paper, I am personally doubtful of the depth of conversations had with community groups and voluntary sector organisations, who will likely have to adopt the provision of support for young people if local authority funding no longer exists.

The decision to only allow until Thursday, March 31 to apply for plans to run centres will present a significant challenge for organisations, as funding becomes even scarcer, and ultimately community buildings which will have to charge the public for its use if business plans are successful.

The scale of reductions of savings at the council cannot be underestimated, but its haste may cause more damage than it should.