Jackie Heffer has spoke of her disappointment after Beverley Town Council voted against a proposal to offer more services to young people in the Town.
Jackie who will be standing for Beverley Town Council as a Labour Candidate in May feels not enough is being done to support the young people of Beverley.
At a recent budget meeting she says her fears were confirmed when councillors voted no to a proposal from East Riding of Yorkshire Council that to increase their work with the young people.
Jackie said;
“I was disappointed that the councillors rejected the idea of increasing the amount of help given to young people in the town.”
“They had listened to an officer from ERYC advising them that that Council no longer followed the traditional model of youth work where workers meet young people around the streets and offer advice on employment, sexual health, drug abuse and so on.”
“With ERYC focussing on targeted groups and families, he suggested the Town Council should continue and increase their youth work coverage because the local authority would no longer be able to.”
“He explained that the Town Council would need to begin employing their youth workers directly, adding to the cost.”
“Beverley Town Council rejected this idea despite a passionate appeal from the Labour councillors.”
Jackie feels the young people are being failed, and this recent vote demonstrates that the priorities of the Town Council are not with young people in Beverley.
She added;
“Where does this leave our young people? Who will they now turn to for advice and help?”
Beverley Town Council held the meeting to set their budgets for the next financial year. Currently the council have a budget of £273,776 that is generated through the precept.
More than half the budget, £149,529 is currently spent on salaries and for their office premises in the centre of Beverley. The budget also covers the cost of non elected roles that include the Town Clerk, Food Co-Coordinator and handyman.
A further £23,500 is allocated for civic duties, councillor training and elections leaving just £100,747 for the council deliver key services to the community with just £6,967 ring fenced for provision of Youth Services.
For some time there has been talk of the council having to look more closely at how they are spending their budget with some questioning if they have got their priorities right as they put food before youth.
Fact: this item is not resolved and is on the agenda for Monday nights Full Council meeting, the public are welcome to attend from 6:15 pm
To give you an update – at the Town Council meeting last night it was agreed by majority vote to pass the remaining Grants money for this year to the policy meeting on 16th March to decide how to allocate this money the proposal to use the money to pay “on costs” of taking on two current youth workers as employees rather than buying the service from ERYC (who are no longer willing to provide it). This would mean we would be able to continue to do our current work with you people of two youth workers for one night a week for the coming year.