Youth services in Ludlow go to consultation

With sweeping cuts being made to youth services across the county as Shropshire Council hope to save about £140,000, Ludlow Youth Partnership is undertaking a review of what is most needed by young people in the town - and how much can be retained on a vastly reduced budget.

Tracey Huffer, chair of the partnership, said it had been asked to carry out the consultation by the Ludlow and Clee Area Local Joint Committee, which is made up of local authorities such as parish councils and police.

Shropshire Council intends to pass responsibility on to to local joint committees (LJCs) to buy in services for young people, instead of the council providing them directly.

Mrs Huffer, who is also councillor for Ludlow East, said: "The LJC asked the youth partnership to act in an advisory capacity, so we have been going into schools doing a questionnaire consultation, as well as doing a public consultation in supermarkets."

She said they had also been visiting play groups and there was an online questionnaire for groups such as scouts and guides.

"We only have a budget of £10,850 this year, which we are not happy about, but that's what we've got and we'll have to see what we can do with it," she said.

"We are hoping to maintain services and provision as near to what currently exists as possible," she said.

"I know parents are very concerned about this locally and want to assure them we are looking at it and hopeful we will be able to retain something close to what there is."

She said they hoped other bodies may be able to chip in with some "top-up" funding.

"What is quite good is that this has drawn a lot of bodies together to look at how they can work in support of each other."

The youth partnership will feed back on the consultation at a meeting of Ludlow and Clee Area Local Joint Committee at the St John Ambulance building in Smithfield, Lower Galdeford, on February 26.

The matter will also be discussed at Craven Arms and Rural Local Joint Committee held the previous day on February 25 at Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre.

The meeting will include an explanation of Shropshire Council's plans for youth services and the impact they may have on the Craven Arms area.

The Craven Arms meeting will also have a presentation from NHS representatives about the Future Fit proposals for re-shaping health services in the county.

Both meetings will take place at 7pm. Everyone is welcome to attend and take part in the discussions.