Gloucestershire youth boss admits cuts call came "out of the blue"
A LEADING county politician has come face to face with the children whose services are facing the axe under county council cuts.
Gloucestershire County Councillor Paul McLain, cabinet member for Children and Young People, visited The Action For Children Youth Participation Project in Gloucester on Wednesday.
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Quizzed: Councillor Paul McLain with Xixi Wang, 9, Kevin Dissanayake, 12, Ryan Sheppard, 15, Danniella Wood, 15, Rob Green, 17, Morgan Chappell, 12, Amy Brown, 16, Mariah Boazman, 12, Jasmine Ali, 11
The group, based at Lister House on Station Road, involves young people from across the county in important decisions and meetings, and started in 2001.
It faces closure along with several other projects in a response to George Osborne's budget.
Councillor McLain was quizzed by members of the project, ranging in age from nine to 17, on why the cuts were being made.
He said that while some cuts were being made where services were ineffective, the decision to cut funding to the project had been one of the hardest.
He said: "This project does great work.
"It really is a great project, but it is advisory, not front-line."
He also admitted, politics aside, he would have liked "more notice" of the drastic cuts.
He said: "At least we know that in October we're going to get some figures for the future, but this one was out of the blue, having to find the £7million.
"So yes, in an ideal world at least if we had had notice it would have given us more time to make the decisions."
He also explained the project was not facing the axe because it was failing to do its job.
He said: "If we didn't respect the work you do, we wouldn't have been giving you the money in the first place.
"It's been a very difficult decision, but we need to look out for the most vulnerable children and young people in Gloucestershire, like those coming out of care.
"I wasn't happy having to make these decisions, in fact not happy is an understatement, like being Lindsay Lohan at an AA meeting."
Members of the project also told us what being involved meant to them.
Robert Green, 17, from Cam, said: "I like it because it's about helping other young people, and improving services.
"It's great, because it improves confidence, self-esteem, motivation and leadership."
Amy Brown, 16, from Cinderford, started getting involved in her area when she was younger and ended up working with the project.
She said: "I always hated the reputation kids in Cinderford had for just sitting around. When I first started I was very shy, but it's given me a lot of confidence."
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by Amy B, Cinderford
Monday, August 02 2010, 12:21PM
“Sorry about the spelling and grammer.”
by Amy Brown, Cinderford
Monday, August 02 2010, 12:19PM
“Joe K, just because you havent heard of the project doesnt mean many others havent and havent benifitted from it. I am a little angry to see that you have said because you personally as an individual havent heard of it then this is a good explaination why it is being shut. This is well and trully not good enough, obiously i live in cinderford and as it is a small area we do not usally hear about things goin on however i know crowds of people that know about this project and the amazing work it has done. The reason it has to be closed is to save the projects soally set up for vunrable young people, so before commenting could you understand that as this is a youth project, young people are going to read your comments and expecially the younger ones are goin to feel that the volunteering they have done for years is not valued which is so not the case.
I have volunteered for over 6 years, 4 of it with The Participation Project and i have loved every minute of it. I feel the work done by young people and staff is exceptional and to a briliant standard its a shame about our current funding all over britain. If the project hasnt changed others lives which im sure it has, it has definately changed mine. I am confident, I have learnt to speak infront of huge crownds, learnt to work to deadlines and my self asteem is soaring. So Thank you Action For Children fot the oppurtunitys Ive had and many others. The project will be greatly missed!!”
by Matt H, Cheltenham
Friday, July 30 2010, 1:07PM
“Yep, the posting of comments on this website continues to be a total lottery. Double postings, or errors when we hit the submit button.
Come on TiG, sort it out, please.”
by Joe K, Barton & Tredworth
Friday, July 30 2010, 11:14AM
“And there y'go. I wait over an hour to be sure my first post wasn't going to appear, and when I post the second, everything pops up...”
by Joe K, Barton & Tredworth
Friday, July 30 2010, 11:11AM
“Since I've never heard of The Action For Children Youth Participation Project, I'm not entirely surprised that they've been cut. Groups that make a name for themselves get more support from the public when the cost-cutters come calling. Both Hear By Right and UKYPGlos have more name recognition, and even they haven't blazed a trail recently.
In the current economic climate (TM), you make the case for funding, or you go under.”