- 14/02/2024
- Posted by: Kerry Jenkins
- Category: News
On Tuesday I joined young people, youth workers, parents, educators and trade unionists gathered in the city centre, to protest against potential budget cuts to its youth services by Birmingham city council.
The protest was organised by Unite the union and the Save Birmingham Youth Service campaign, and brought together a diverse range of Birmingham residents voicing their concerns about the potential harm that any cuts to youth services would inflict on the lives of thousands of young people in the city.
Undeterred by the cold and the rain, the protest assembled at 9am outside the Central Library and after about half an hour marched a short walk up to the council house with chants of “Save our services! Save our future!” and “No ifs, no buts, no youth service cuts ” accompanied by drums and whistles! It was great to see so many young people all passionate about youth services, demanding that the council reconsider potential budget decisions.
Once at the council house a rally was held outside the building with protesters paying tribute to Muhammad Hassan Ali, a young person who had lost his life as a victim of knife crime only a week before in Victoria Square, with a minute’s silence held before young people voiced their opposition to the council’s cuts on youth services and the anti-knife crime budget, sharing personal stories of how youth services had helped them navigate challenges in their lives such as poverty, crime, exploitation, and mental health struggles with a collective warning that cuts to these services would carry a far greater price long term.
The rally had the backing of Unite the Union, the representative of some of the city’s youth workers and Regional Officer Lee Wiggetts-Clinton, from Unite the Union, said,
“Youth workers and children should not deal with the pressure of a financial crisis they did not create. The fight to prevent these cuts continues, fuelled by determination and a commitment to save the future of Birmingham’s youth”
I was pleased to accept a sack of letters written by young people to the Leader of the council, the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and other councillors, asking them to stop any budget cuts to its youth services. I promised to ensure they were delivered to John Cotton once he had finished his Cabinet meeting.
I firmly believe that the council should not cut frontline services for young people and have been raising my opposition and concern to any potential proposals to cut these services. Young people depend on youth services and any budget cuts to its youth services will have a devastating impact on the lives of young people. Ultimately the young people in this city did not cause the financial situation that the council finds themselves in and therefore should not have to pay the price.
Tuesday was only the beginning of the campaign asking Birmingham City Council to reconsider and potential budget cuts to its youth services and received lots of media attention. I have been told that other activities will be planned especially once the budget proposals are confirmed.
March over cuts to ‘vital’ Birmingham children’s services – BBC News
I was interviewed live on BBC WM with Kathryn Stanczyszyn (about 15 mins in) – https://t.co/QCJ2GJhvnl
And there is a petition which can be found here: https://t.co/kC8H5bwkch
