Level up on youth clubs, urges Northumbria police boss as report shows North-South divide

The publication of a new report showing young people in deprived areas have less access to youth clubs than those in more affluent areas has stirred 'anger' in a North East police boss.

According to National Youth Agency's 1 November report, "there is twice as much youth provision in the most affluent areas as opposed to the most deprived areas".

Kim McGuinness, Labour's police and crime commissioner for Northumbria, says this makes it highly likely that the North East is suffering disproportionately from low access to youth centres due to the region's high levels of deprivation.

The commissioner's office say the north of England is home to 90 per cent of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK - and they previously calculated youth services across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear have experienced a 75% real-terms funding cut since 2011.

“It really shouldn’t matter where you live but it clearly does. I care so much about the North East and it beggars belief that the areas that need youth services the most are being deprived of them," Ms McGuinness said.

"Social inequality is rife. It makes absolutely no sense – the exact opposite of levelling up is happening and it’s just not right.”

According to the End Child Poverty Coalition, the North East has the second highest rate of child poverty in the UK at 37 per cent. The region also saw the UK’s biggest increase in child poverty from 2014/15 to 2019/20.

The Commissioner continued: “We have some shameful levels of poverty in our area and a shameful lack of youth services to match. South Tyneside and Newcastle have some of the highest child poverty levels in our region.

"Fewer youth services means young people in deprived areas are far more likely to get caught up in crime and preyed upon by criminals who draw them into crimes like County Lines.

“Tackling all these issues has to start with children and young people - it begins with investing in prevention. We have to fight poverty to fight crime.”

Responding to Ms McGuinness' statement, a spokesperson from the Department of Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said:

"We are determined to give every child the best start in life and level up opportunity across the country. Last week we announced plans to invest £560 million to make sure youth services get the support they need and this includes funding the construction or refurbishment of up to 300 youth facilities in the most deprived areas of the country."We also confirmed a £500 million extension of our schemes to help young people find new opportunities and better paid work, over £200m to continue the Holiday Activities and Food programme, and a further £1.8 billion to support schools’ recovery from the pandemic and help the most disadvantaged pupils – which takes overall funding dedicated towards pupils’ recovery to almost £5bn.”