I am a youth worker for an open-access youth centre in Manchester, in one of the top 10 percent most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK.
We do vital work offering working-class young people a place to go, fun activities, informal education and skills outside of school, creative arts and sports, and pastoral support. The aim is to help develop their potential and provide opportunities.
Many kids I work with are let down by schools, and live in communities with few resources or opportunities, beset by unemployment, poverty, crime, and poor health. I see first hand the impact the social crisis has on young people’s wellbeing – we are facing a children’s mental health epidemic.
Austerity and decline
Decades of capitalist austerity and decline has created a bleak world for working-class young people. Youth services attempt to address this but – just like the young people we work with – so many obstacles are stacked against us.
Since 2010, youth services such as youth clubs and youth workers have been cut by 69 percent. More than 4,500 youth work jobs have been cut and 750 youth centres closed.
With the disappearance of publicly-funded youth services, provision has been forced towards the private sector and philanthropy for funding.
The founder of one the UK’s largest gambling firms put up the money to build our centre! Most of our costs are covered by corporate partnerships: hedge funds, insurance companies, real estate developers, etc.
It is sad that we have to go cap-in-hand to businesses and rich individuals looking to help their image, sore consciences, and tax bills, hoping they throw a fraction of their cash our way.
Vital social services compete for funding and many areas go without youth services if the need is not judged great enough.
It should be the case that quality youth services are funded and guaranteed for all young people in every neighbourhood.
We are always worried about bringing in enough revenue to stay open. How much goes towards paying fundraising managers, that could be directed towards well-trained youth workers and better resources?
We are constantly understaffed, and the youth workers make basically minimum wage, working anti-social hours. I’ve seen many amazing, passionate youth workers leave because the wages don’t match the demands of the work.
Socialist policies
The sector must be unionised, as part of a bold campaign to organise all workplaces, and to fight against austerity and the system that breeds it.
I’m really proud of the impactful work we do, but we should be able to do so much more. We should be able to give a great start in life for all those who need it.
The resources exist to achieve this, but do working-class young people see them? No – they are hoarded by the wealthy, who live in luxury while many kids I work with can expect few opportunities ahead.
We should seize the wealth of the billionaire class, and put it into our youth services, schools, hospitals, and social services.
In a socialist society, youth services could be greatly extended, and placed in every community.
They could be placed under the control of workers, communities, and the young people themselves. Young people know best what they need.
Youth centres could be a hub for them to discuss society, the problems they face, and take part in the running of society – laying the basis for a communist world where young people can truly be free.
