Truth about cuts to Rotherham youth services

It's a very convenient time to blame the cuts on the Coalition Government. What better for a Labour Council to shift the pointed finger and escape criticisim.

The closure of a number of youth centres across Rotherham is a perfect example.

I have documents issued by Rotherham Council dating back to 2008 which show a clear picture of a proposed reduction in the services.

It was going to happen anyway! I don't blame the Labour Council for making the most of the situation - this is politics after all.

No it's not that cuts have to be made, we all know that, it's where and why these cuts are being made.

A couple of years ago the senior citizens at Bramley Bowls club developed a superb youth service by encouraging the youngsters to play bowls with them. What better integration could you have.

That was until the Council decreed the youths had to pay 50p per game. It soon spoiled the endeavour.

This is the sort of youth service we can afford. What is obviously required is a little more common sense to the cuts. Why could we not have spent some of the £140,000 in Town Hall wallpaper costs on the Bramley Bowls club?

That's a lot of games for the 40 youths who were regularly attending and I'm sure we could have trade emulsion on the walls of the Town Hall.

What do you think of the cuts to Rotherham's youth centres? Use the "write a comment" buttons to post your views.

The current thinking is to replace the youth centres with youth buses which can 'target' problem areas. We have had two buses (and I mean transit type vehicles not single deckers) which have been under used because of lack of drivers and problems in parking.

Believe it or not groups of youths tend not to hang around in car parks. These buses were initially intended to encourage youths to 'taste' the facilities available in the Youth Centres, not to replace them.

Can you imagine a group being squashed into a nine-seater bus to use computers? How can Youth Workers speak confidentially to clients on a bus?

No, use the funds more wisely. All our services can be maintained if we select waste with common sense in mind. So come on you Labour leaders - a bit less politiking and a little more common sense.

Do what you are supposed to do for the people of Rotherham.

Cllr Brian Cutts, Stanley Street, Rotherham.

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