Funding Youth Work

Though some local open youth work facilities were reinstalled, throughout the period covered by this book, they also continued to face cuts. Avoiding any explicit commitment to their full reinstatement, the government created a range of ‘gesture’ Funds, many with specific targets on, for example, supporting uniformed organisations, youth unemployment, Covid-19 support, violence and antisocial behaviour and ‘at risk’ young people. Though having a broader reach, the Youth Investment Fund (YIF) provides a revealing case study of the government’s funding strategy which, to help fill some of the continuing gaps, left open youth work reliant still on contributions from charities and the business world.