A FALLS Road based youth service is facing a devastating blow as Education Authority funding cuts will see a reduction to their service and the potential of closure if funding for the new financial year isn’t granted.

St Peter's Immaculata Youth Centre Belfast have said they will be forced to close some of its services, with many programmes severely limited due to cuts to its youth work.

“Our grants have been reduced. Our opening times have been reduced. The number of kids we can work with has been reduced and the number of staff we can employ has been reduced and that’s if we win the specifications,” Stephen Hughes, St Peter's Youth Leader told the Andersonstown News.

At present, the youth centre has still not received a letter of offer regarding grants for the next financial year. The current financial year will end at the end of this month. If a letter of offer has not been produced, then staff will be made redundant at the centre and the project will close in a professional capability. 

“We’re not prepared to close the project but in terms of it being a professional youth work organisation that will cease, it would be voluntary,” said Stephen.

“At the moment, there are 14 staff members across different projects but we’re going to lose all of our staff without the grant.”

“If we do not receive the letter of offer in the next few days all nine staff will be released on Wednesday and a centre that has served lower Falls from 1951 will no longer exist.”

St Peter’s Youth Centre has been a cornerstone in the Falls for over seventy years providing a safe environment for young people to grow and development. The club provides vital services such as junior and senior clubs, educational programmes, late night provision, therapies, youth men’s group, learning opportunities and a drop-in centre and much more. 

If a letter of offer is made in the coming days, the centre will still be forced to provide a limited service due to EA cuts. From 1 April the centre will only open four nights per week, with their Saturday night drop-in ending. The cuts will also mean that the service can only work with a maximum of 35 children and young people per session to ensure that the service can retain safe ratios of staff to young people, and this will operate on a first come first served basis.

The centre will also no longer being able to provide residential opportunities and its summer programme. The centre has stated as a result of the cuts it will “no longer be in a position to support young people with substance need” and can not “respond to emerging or critical issues as the staffing has been severely limited by the cuts in the grants".

“It’s the most socio-economically deprived communities that are going to suffer the most,” said Stephen.

“We’re going to see anti-social behaviour going up, crime going up, drug use is going to go up, education underachievement is going to go up. All of these things are going to suffer and the heart-breaking part of this is it’s the kids with the least opportunities that are going to lose out and it’s wrong.”

Sinn Féin Councillor Clare Canavan said: "I am concerned about the impact of cuts to Education Authority youth services. Plans to cut vital youth services will be devastating for young people and youth services. Clonard Monastery Youth Centre and St Peter’s Immaculata Youth Centre do amazing work in our area. These cuts will be devastating for them and for many other youth services across the North.

"Sinn Féin have consistently made our opposition to these cuts clear to the Education Authority and highlighted the importance of these services to people in all communities.
Youth providers and young people can’t wait any longer for the restoration of the Executive and for parties to work together to support them against these cruel Tory cuts.
We need an Executive now."