John Leech MP and Councillor John Cameron have demanded Labour rethinks its plans for massive cuts to funding for Youth Services across Burnage, Withington, Old Moat and Chorlton. Four local Youth Service providers found out this week that their funding is to be slashed by a total of 42%, despite previous assurances about the future.The four groups facing funding cuts are: Old Moat Youth Outreach Project (OMYOP), Unity Youth Arts and Sounds, Chorlton Youth Project, and Burnage Multi-Agency Group (BMAG).John Leech MP voiced his anger at the savage cuts, which leave the local groups struggling to continue. He said:

“ These groups do invaluable work in our communities. Their precious work gives our young people something to do, and helps them develop as members of the community.

I am shocked by these cuts, and angry that the Council have announced them at the last minute, giving local groups a matter of days to respond.”

Burnage Councillor John Cameron, who is the chair of BMAG, said:

” More things for young people to do is a top priority for local people in South Manchester. We need more youth work in our area, not less! This decision threatens the entire future of these projects which between them provide most of the youth work in South Manchester. The Liberal Democrats are totally opposed to these last-minute cuts to our Youth provision. ”

Chorlton Park Councillor Norman Lewis stated:

“We will be campaigning hard to oppose Labour’s threat to much-needed work with our young people. Without the great work that these organisations do with young people many will be more likely to drift into crime and other damaging behaviour”

Lib Dem Chorlton Councillor Paul Ankers added:

“These groups are run by volunteers and they do fantastic work with young people in our community. They must not be allowed to go to the wall because of this short sighted penny pinching.”

Old Moat campaigner Rob Mackle said:

” If the Labour party think that they will get their cuts to our youth services through quietly, they are very much mistaken. We will be fighting them on this every step of the way.”

The volunteers of Burnage In Bloom are used to winning prizes. But they have now won a £1000 cash payout from North West Gas Alliance. Last year the placing of planters along Kingsway as part of Burnage In Bloom was delayed by several weeks because of the gas main renewal work. Councillor John Cameron wrote to the company doing the work to complain that they had not kept to their original plans and had delayed all the work that the volunteers had put in. Now, North West Gas Alliance have given Burnage In Bloom a cheque for £1000 to compensate.