Councillors welcome youth work investment pledge

Local Liberal Democrat Councillors have welcomed a pledge, by party leader Jo Swinson, to invest in vitally needed youth services and youth workers, to help tackle knife crime and provide positive places for young people to be.

Swinson made the commitment in her leader's speech at the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference in Bournemouth.

Councillor Michael Mullaney, Lib Dem PPC for Bosworth, says "It's vital that we have properly funded youth services. High quality youth services are essential if we are to help solve the problems of rising mental health issues among young people and the need to help reduce knife crime and crime and anti social behaviour more generally.

"Many young people often suffer from mental ill-health, depression, anxiety and are often the victims of crime and anti social behaviour, these plans to give extra support to youth services are very welcome."

Councillor Mathew Hulbert, former Children and Young People's Champion on Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council and who co-authored the Lib Dems policy on youth services in 2015, says "I'm delighted to hear my party leader pledge, in her big speech from the Conference stage, that a Liberal Democrat government would invest in youth services and youth workers.

"The cuts made to these services, in recent years, have been disgraceful and, ironically, don't end up saving any money at all, as the young people who would have accessed the provision end up having to turn to other services for help instead."

"Youth services need to have a proper statutory underpinning, so Council's can't just axe them, and need both universal and targeted provision."

"This pledge is yet another reason why so many people are turning to the Lib Dems from the other parties and why we look forward with confidence to a general election being held."