Elections 2021: How would Norfolk candidates improve youth services?

A teenager who has been part of a youth project for more than six years has said it is vital to the community. But after deep cuts to youth services across the country in the past decade, what would those hoping to run Norfolk County Council do if they got into power?

Sam Georgiou-Brunt, 19, first started taking part in activities run by the Sprowston Youth Engagement Project when he was 13.

He said: "Genuinely, I can't imagine my life without the stability of something like a youth club and I definitely wouldn't have the friends or skills that I have today."

The organisation, which relies on support from town and parish councils, as well as fundraising, holds drop-in cafes where teenagers can meet new friends, learn new skills and get advice and support with any issues they have.

Its founder has called for more support and funding from councils across the country for youth services, which the National Youth Agency says has been cut by 70% in the past decade.

Norfolk County Council handles youth services. Its councillors will be chosen during local elections on 6 May.

In alphabetical order, the main political groups set out their plans below.

Steffan Aquarone, Liberal Democrats

"If we are to maintain a vibrant economy and bring in the money through council tax and business rates to fund the services we all deserve, we must make sure our county is a place where young people can prosper, learn, set up businesses, and forge careers.

"As part of our commitment to young people in Norfolk, if elected, we will use partnerships to restore a proper youth service to Norfolk that can provide services for, and designed with, young people.

"We will safeguard special needs and disability funding, protect music service budgets, and although the move to academies means the council no longer runs as many schools, we will extend our support for our small schools by committing resources to help them improve performance."

Andrew Boswell, Greens

"Youth services are crucially important but have been cut drastically over the years and in order to enable the council to properly fund these services, we need a complete rethink on priorities.

"When they were working well, they provided a lot of support for young people. It's a difficult time being a teenager with increasing problems such as mental health.

"If you put the money in now, you save money later, particularly with support for mental health issues. So cutting youth services completely does not make sense and you end up with a bigger bill at the end of it."

Steve Morphew, Labour

"We are proposing to restore youth services cut 10 years ago. We would do it in partnership with appropriate organisations and want it to cover young people's development, mental health and career advice.

"We are proposing to give young people a greater say on issues that affect them and their future. We were already moving in that direction before lockdown but the way young people were affected and the way they have responded has demonstrated just how much of a gap in services there is and how much they would benefit from more and a greater say in their own futures.

"We are also proposing to protect services used by young people like Holt Hall outside learning centre that has been closed, Whitlingham adventure outdoor centre is under threat and Norfolk Music Service is threatened and provides such a key service for the confidence and skills of young people."

Andrew Proctor, Conservatives

"We will invest £5m in a new Community Youth Fund to support and develop youth services in the community to offer positive activities and support with employment, apprenticeships and skills.

"We want to see educational success for all and will invest in skills and job opportunities for our young people.

"We will work with employers to offer as many opportunities as possible to Norfolk's young people and create more apprenticeships and work experience placements at the county council for young people."

Sandra Squire, Independents

"For years, funding for youth services has been cut and left to the voluntary sector to pick up where there is no provision. There should be better, more sustainable funding available to projects, not just in our towns and cities, but also in rural outreach programs.

"It's very easy for society to demonise young people but we see so often in areas with good support, activities and advice available such as at drop-in centres, [that] young people thrive.

"We should be creating more environments for opportunities for young people and that is going to require more investment, but it should be considered as an investment in the future of Norfolk, which benefits everyone."