Future of Calderdale youth club hangs in the balance

A www.change.org petition has been set up under the title Everyone Help Save Todmorden Youth Club and has been supported by more than 500 people since it as started a few weeks ago.

It meets at Todmorden Community College and was recently praised in a scrutiny review of Calderdale Council’s Youth Services.

Overall the review concluded that although there were a lot of good things being done in different parts of the borough the Calderdale service as a whole has lost it’s way and needed overhauling.

But although big changes need to take place resulting in a more carefully targeted service, strong locally based provision should remain a key part of the mix, said the report by councillors

Colin Raistrick (Ind, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe), Anne Collins (Lab, Ovenden), Sarah Courtney (Lab, Calder) and Amanda Parsons-Hulse (Lib Dem, Warley).

The Todmorden club was a case examples cited in their report.

The councillor report said: “The young people wanted to say ‘Thanks’ to the staff for making them feel welcome and that it’s a great place to be. The atmosphere in the club was brilliant.

“The young people were boisterous and lively but really polite, well-mannered and friendly, towards me, the staff and each other.”

Julie Jenkins, Calderdale Council’s Director of Children and Young People’s Services, said although options on the way services were being reviewed with the aim of providing the most effective service to meet young people’s needs, no decisions had yet been made.

“We want to give Calderdale’s young people the right support at the right time.

“We value the Youth Service as an important way to help people achieve their potential, and we know how much it means to local communities.

“We are reviewing a range of options for the way our Youth Service could be delivered in future, to provide the most effective and efficient service possible in the context of challenging budget savings.

“No decisions have been made as yet, including how Todmorden Youth Centre could be delivered in future, but we are committed to keeping youth facilities in our areas of greatest need.

“We will give local people the opportunity to have their say and Cabinet members will consider all options in spring 2020,” she said.