Youth Services in Knowsley Face Funding Crisis After 60 Years of Operation
Youth centers in Knowsley, Merseyside, are navigating a precarious financial landscape, with iconic institutions like The Boyzee at Halewood Youth in Community Centre struggling to maintain operations after nearly six decades of service. These vital community hubs, which have been opening their doors to young people since the 1960s, now find themselves walking a funding tightrope that threatens their very existence.
‘We’re on a Cliff Edge’: The Struggle to Sustain Youth Services
Toni Dodd, the center manager at Karma in the Community, a youth service located in Knowsley on the outskirts of Liverpool, expressed profound frustration. “I feel like I’m failing because I can’t reach everyone,” Dodd said. “I’ll go over and get kids hanging outside the shops, bring them in, but it’s who am I not reaching? It just takes one thing and they’re on that track into crime, into drugs. There are kids going into school on ketamine. I do all I can but it’s so hard to keep it open and running, and you can’t meet the demand there is.”
Research conducted by Social Investment Business (SIB) and the University of Leeds reveals that Knowsley has the highest number of youth work “black holes” among all local authorities in England. These are areas characterized by significant deprivation and antisocial behavior, yet they suffer from few or no youth services. The borough also faces educational challenges, with no A-level provision for students, forcing them to travel to Liverpool or neighboring areas for further studies. Although there has been some improvement in recent years, Knowsley still records the lowest GCSE pass rate in the UK, with only 23% of students achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths during the 2023-24 academic year.
Essential Services on the Ground Floor
Dodd emphasizes that grassroots services like Karma in the Community are crucial for keeping young people on a positive path. Based in Huyton, the center engages hundreds of children annually through youth clubs, camping trips, and highly sought-after kickboxing classes that often have waiting lists due to overwhelming demand.
Nathan Orr, 19, who began attending the center at age eight and now works as a kickboxing coach, credits the service with transforming his life. “I compare myself to other lads my age, I think there’s a lot of people doing the wrong things because there’s just not much going on in communities,” Orr said. “Youth clubs used to be local, they used to be on every estate and you were never more than a 10-minute walk away. Now it’s too hard for people to get to them.”
Orr described schools as challenging environments rife with bullying and conflicts, and he highlighted the difficulties of navigating post-school life. “About two years before I was about to go to sixth form, they shut it. So I had to go somewhere else for college, which was quite daunting, being with new people and feeling like you were starting again. It puts people off, I think,” he added.
Funding Cuts and Community Impact
Similar to trends across the country, numerous youth clubs in Knowsley have shuttered as funding has been slashed. According to SIB, neighborhoods around Kirkby are among the worst affected in Knowsley, effectively becoming youth work black holes. The consequences are stark, with Merseyside police frequently implementing “dispersal zones” in response to incidents involving criminal damage, threats, drug use, and reckless driving by youths.
Knowsley council received government funding last year aimed at “rebuilding local youth service leadership,” and SIB’s research underscores the necessity of directing resources to areas with the greatest needs. However, the youth services that remain operational in the borough are uncertain about their future sustainability.
The Boyzee: A Legacy Under Threat
The Boyzee at Halewood Youth in Community Centre, which began as a boys’ club in 1968 and now welcomes all young people, has been a cornerstone of the community for almost 60 years. Despite its enduring legacy, the center has faced formidable challenges, including in 2018 when two senior staff members halved their salaries to keep it running. A recent Youth Investment Fund grant, facilitated by SIB, enabled renovations to the previously dilapidated building, where staff once had to rush in during rainstorms to address leaks.
Mark Nelson, the operations manager and senior youth worker, voiced grave concerns. “We’re on the verge of going off a cliff because of the lack of revenue funding,” Nelson said. “We’ve got funding until the end of March, but if we don’t get more, I’d say we’ve got a maximum of about four months before we close. Capital investment has been really, really beneficial to the centre, but a short sharp fix is not what we need, we need something sustained.”
The center’s popularity remains undiminished, as evidenced by the lively atmosphere on a Tuesday evening, with boys playing football, young women participating in exercise classes, and others engaging in crafts, pool, or conversations. “There are severe levels of social deprivation around here, and the issues which come with that, like antisocial behavior,” Nelson noted. “But we’re the only dedicated youth provision in the area – and I’m not talking sports centres and football clubs which are great, but there’s often costs involved.”
Dawn Corrie, a senior youth worker, reflected on the decline of youth clubs. “There used to be more clubs around, and we have watched them go under over the years.” Many young people are local, but some travel from neighboring towns due to the absence of suitable clubs nearby. Corrie expressed frustration over the financial strain. “I get angry because why are we staying awake all night and stressing, just to pay our wages basically, which is not a great deal. Jesus Christ, I could be working here for 60 hours a week and only get paid for 30. I’m knocking on doors for people to come in and do a couple of hours, just so we can open up to the kids.”
