New partnership formed after plea to save Bridgnorth youth centre
A plea from youngsters to save youth facilities in their town has prompted councillors to set up a new youth partnership.
Members of youth group Mambo Jambos, which meets weekly in Innage Lane in Bridgnorth, wrote to Shropshire councillors after hearing their youth centre could close.
The heartfelt letters explained how much the centre meant to them and why the Monday meetings were so important.
A new Bridgnorth Area Youth Partnership will now be launched next month for representatives of any group or organisation which works with young people in and around Bridgnorth.
The partnership promises to work to ensure the views and idea of young people are heard, while bring together groups to share resources, ideas and information.
Shropshire Councillors Les Winwood, Christian Lea, John Hurst-Knight and William Parr - who all represent Bridgnorth - met with youngsters outside the youth centre to offer their support.
Councillor Winwood, speaking on behalf of the four councillors, said: "This new youth partnership will be key in informing the Bridgnorth Local Joint Committee, which will be responsible for commissioning activities in the Bridgnorth area.
"The local joint committee will shortly be looking at the local evidence and the needs of young people aged 10 to 19, to help inform it of what activities need to be commissioned.
"The committee will then act as a key conduit, using youth partnerships, to quality assure what is being delivered is the right quality and meets the needs of the young people it is aimed at."
Fears have been raised the youth centre could be sold off by Shropshire Council to bridge future funding gaps.
Bridgnorth Town Council has launched plans to adopt the Innage Lane centre – a move that was welcomed by residents and youth leaders.
More than 100 youth workers in Shropshire have been told they will be made redundant next spring as Shropshire Council aims to save about £140,000, the equivalent to a 15 per cent budget cut.
Town council staff fear the cuts could also spread to youth centre buildings and are preparing to make a move for Innage Lane.
About one third of the county's youth workers will take redundancy from April 1 next year.
The county will no longer directly deliver youth services, but instead commission them from other providers.
The council has said no formal consultation had started yet with staff and it hopes jobs will be made available to them from other providers.
