‘We’re on a cliff edge’: the struggle to keep youth services alive in Knowsley

Despite high needs, the Merseyside borough has the most youth work ‘black holes’ of any local authority in EnglandYouth work ‘black holes’ in half of all council areas in England, study finds“I feel like I’m failing because I can’t reach everyone,” said Toni Dodd, the centre manager at Karma in the Community, a youth service in Knowsley on the outskirts of Liverpool.“I’ll go over and get kids hanging outside the shops, bring them in, but it’s who am I not reaching? It just takes one thing and they’re on that track into crime, into drugs. There are kids going into school on ketamine. I do all I can but it’s so hard to keep it open and running, and you can’t meet the demand there is.” Continue reading...