We (Shropshire Council) want your views on a proposed reduction of, and changes to funding in support of the provision of youth activities.
We want to hear from young people, their parents and carers, members of Local Joint Committees (‘LJC’), youth organisations, other organisations and individuals about the potential impact of the proposals and any other concerns that these changes may create.
By youth activities, we mean opportunities funded by us for young people to engage in a range of activities usually within youth clubs. Collectively these activities support young people’s wellbeing, personal and social development and preparation for adulthood.
We want to continue to encourage local youth partnerships, volunteer run youth clubs and new funding opportunities that provide activities for young people whilst reducing the demand on its own budgets.
Your views will help inform our decision-making.
Background
Since 2015, we have commissioned youth activities for young people aged 10 to 19 years old (25 for people with learning difficulties) from a range of independent youth activity providers.
Funding was provided to 18 (out of 23) LJCs based on a formula that calculated the areas of greatest need for young people and from challenges resulting from rural isolation.
LJCs, together with young people and supported by Council officers, make recommendations on how money is best spent in local communities. Since the new approach was introduced, over 90 separate awards have been made to over 70 different providers. Awards range from small grants of less than £200, for example for the purchase of equipment by community groups, to large contracts to established youth activity providers to provide regular youth clubs.
Council funded youth activities are intended to respond to the local needs of young people. Shropshire Youth Association and Energize provide support to voluntary youth clubs through a separate funding stream. Further details can be found on the Shropshire Youth Association website.
Proposed changes to how we allocate funding to individual LJCs
We propose to introduce a revised and simplified funding formula based on just two measures:
- The relative number of young people aged 10 to 19 years old
- The number of young people in receipt of free school meals in a LJC area
The proposed measures no longer make specific reference to rurality.
In allocating funding to individual LJCs and establishing the value of the total funding pot, we have considered:
- Where funding support should be provided – we propose to provide funding to areas with a need score greater than 5%, which would limit funding to the main market towns. This represents a logical cut off based on our experience of where young people’s need is the greatest, and there is the least possibility of provision being picked up locally.
- How many youth clubs / activities we should be supporting within each LJC area – we have based this on our experience over the past two years and in particular, where council support to create and sustain local activity is most needed.
- The cost, based on our experience, for providing fully staffed youth clubs within the main market towns.
What does this mean for individual LJCs?
We have set out below proposed funding for each of the LJC areas.
Local Joint Committee Area (in descending order of needs score)
|
Rurality Funding 2014 to present
|
Needs Funding 2014 to present
|
Proposed Needs Funding
2018 onwards
|
|
|
Needs funding
|
No of youth clubs supported
|
Needs score
|
Proposed no of youth clubs to be supported
|
Proposed needs funding
£
|
Partner delivery commissioned by Shropshire Council
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shrewsbury
|
|
√
|
7
|
15.1%
|
5
|
45,000
|
Market Drayton
|
|
√
|
2
|
6.6%
|
2
|
18,000
|
Oswestry
|
|
√
|
4
|
6.0%
|
2
|
18,000
|
Bridgnorth, Worfield, Alveley and Claverley
|
√
|
√
|
2
|
5.6%
|
2
|
18,000
|
Whitchurch
|
|
√
|
2
|
5.5%
|
2
|
18,000
|
Ludlow and Clee area
|
|
√
|
2
|
5.0%
|
2
|
18,000
|
Community partnership youth provision supported by Shropshire Council
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wem and Shawbury
|
√
|
√
|
2
|
4.6%
|
|
|
Craven Arms and Rural
|
√
|
|
|
4.1%
|
|
|
Bishop’s Castle, Chirbury, Worthen and Clun
|
√
|
|
|
3.0%
|
|
|
Ellesmere
|
√
|
|
|
3.9%
|
|
|
Gobowen, Selattyn, St Martin’s, and Weston Rhyn
|
|
√
|
3
|
3.9%
|
|
|
Longden, Ford, Rea Valley and Loton
|
√
|
√
|
2
|
3.8%
|
|
|
Shifnal and Sheriffhales
|
|
|
|
3.4%
|
|
|
Five Perry Parishes
|
|
|
|
3.3%
|
|
|
Broseley and Rural
|
|
|
|
3.2%
|
|
|
Tern and Severn Valley
|
√
|
|
|
3.2%
|
|
|
St Oswald
|
√
|
|
|
3.1%
|
|
|
Albrighton
|
|
|
|
3.1%
|
|
|
Strettondale and Burnell
|
√
|
|
|
3.0%
|
|
|
Highley and Brown Clee
|
√
|
|
|
2.8%
|
|
|
Cleobury and Rural
|
√
|
|
|
2.5%
|
|
|
Much Wenlock and Shipton
|
√
|
|
|
2.4%
|
|
|
Bayston Hill
|
|
|
|
2.4%
|
|
|
Total funding
|
|
|
|
|
|
£135,000
|
The impact of this approach would be a reduction in the number of LJCs currently allocated funding from eighteen to six, and an overall reduction in the total budget from £234,959 to £135,000.
We will continue to fund Shropshire Youth Association to provide proactive support to youth clubs across Shropshire. We recognise that this is crucial to the long-term sustainability of an active and dynamic voluntary community sector.
An Equality and Social Inclusion Impact Assessment has been prepared and is available at the bottom of this page.
How to get involved
Once you have read the draft proposals please click on the 'How to get involved' tab and follow the link to complete the survey.
The outcomes of the consultation will be carefully considered and used to inform our approach to providing support for youth activities.