YMCA England: Helping young people build a future

YMCA England has today welcomed the report and conclusions of the Education Select Committee’s report into Services for Young People.

The report, published today by Parliament, observes that 85% of a young person’s waking hours are spent outside formal education, yet at present 55 times more is spent on formal education than services for young people outside school. The report also highlights the large cuts being made by local authorities to youth services and that Government needs to acknowledge what is actually happening on the ground. The report also calls for significant changes to the Government’s National Citizen Service concluding that it cannot support its continued development in its present form.

YMCA England Chief Executive, Ian Green, said:

“The report of the Education Select Committee should be welcomed as it focuses in on many of the key issues and problems that are being faced by youth service providers across the country. Its observations are fair, well argued and the report pulls no punches in its conclusions and recommendations, particularly around the Government’s National Citizen Service.

“For too long youth services in this country have been seen as ‘add on’ services – a kind of optional extra that can be easily cut if finances dictate. What I hope has been shown through this report process is the positive value and impact that these services have upon young peoples’ lives. However, voluntary sector and youth service providers must also accept that we need to get better at measuring improvements in outcomes from the services we provide for young people."

YMCA England provided evidence at the Education Select Committee on services for young people in February this year.

ENDS

For further information, please contact the YMCA England Press Office on:

E: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Notes to Editors:

• Founded 167 years ago, the YMCA in England is made up of 135 local YMCAs working to ensure that young people have opportunities to thrive and contribute positively to their communities.
• YMCA operates in over 250 communities in England with 135 local representations, and covers four key areas of work:
  • Offering a safe place to stay – every night, over 7,000 young people stay at a YMCA.
  • Giving young people a fresh start – the YMCA gives young people the support they need to get their lives back on track.
  • Vital support – the YMCA offers a variety of services that help to promote positive family relationships.
  • Helping communities to get active - the YMCA is also the leading provider of industry training in physical activity with over 67,000 people receiving YMCA fitness industry qualifications. For further information please visit www.ymca.org.uk