Youth crime warning in face of cuts

Since it started its work nine years ago, the city centre-based 6VT Turnaround project has had a 70 per cent success rate in putting young people back on the right track.

However, organisers say it will be forced to fold if the council axes its funding.

The project is one of the council's 96 proposed cuts to third-party funding for next year as it attempts to fill a gap of more than 90 million in its finances over the next three years.

The project's director says cutting the service's 38,000-a-year funding would cost the city more in the long run if young people with behavioural problems were not given help at an early stage.

Dot Horne said: "It would be a great loss to the city.

"Over the nine years it has helped hundreds of young people and educational welfare see it as a valuable resource.

"There are many young people we still see who have gone on to be very successfully and there are even some at university.

"They needed small, sharp challenges and interventions and they needed to be confronted about their behaviour.

"A lot of young people don't look forward and don't realise the impact offending will have on their future.

"For a very small amount of money we are making a great impact and it seems stupid not to address these offenders through early intervention and wait until they are too far down the line when it will cost more money."

The Turnaround project works with teenagers who are involved with low-level offending such as antisocial behaviour or car crime and have been, or are at risk of being, excluded from school.

One woman whose 13-year-old son has gone through the scheme says it has been a "Godsend".

Her son, who used to get into frequent trouble with police when hanging around the streets with gangs, now attends 6VT's youth cafe on Victoria Terrace instead.

The mother, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "He has been brilliant since he has been there and hasn't been in trouble with the police once. He realises now how the things that he does impact on the family and how if he gets into trouble, I can get into trouble and he could get taken away from me.

"It was getting to the stage where I was worried about him going out and I was waiting for the day that he was going to end up in hospital after getting into a fight. Now, when he's at the cafe, I know he is safe."

Councillor Phil Wheeler, the city's finance leader, said: "The council is working closely with the voluntary sector to ensure that grant applications clearly reflect the council's priorities.

"This will help members to make the right decisions about third-party payments when the council meets to decide the detail of these in March. At this stage the proposals are officer recommendations only."