Youth organisations' open letter to David Cameron

Prime Minister David Cameron has been told to improve youth services and ensure any new laws passed by government adhere to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) by a group of youth sector organisations.

Representatives of 12 major youth organisations signed the open letter to Prime Minister David Cameron.

In the open letter signed by senior representatives of 12 youth organisations, including the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services, the National Youth Agency, Ambition, Children England, and the Scout Association, Mr Cameron was told the government is not doing enough on youth services.

The letter stresses that children's rights should be adhered to as the government pursues its legislative programme.

Other actions the organisations call for include youth policy being co-ordinated across departments, and for the government to acknowledge the role youth services play in building young people’s skills, and improving their health outcomes.  It asks government to allow young people to take part in democratic processes.
 
The letter follows the launch of a major lobbying campaign to protect youth services last month.

A coalition of 30 voluntary sector youth organisations and trade unions, co-ordinated by Choose Youth, has created a Young People and Youth Service Bill, which it plans to send to all 650 MPs in the House of Commons.

The bill includes a provision for youth services to be made statutory.

Government statistics show that youth services have faced cuts of nearly £500m since 2010.

According to most recent data, spending on youth services stood at £1.2bn in 2010/11 but had dropped to £712m by 2013/14.