Gwynedd's 39 youth clubs axed in budget cut

All youth clubs in Gwynedd will be axed as the council tries to cut £270,000 from its budget.

The council's cabinet approved plans to shut all 39 youth clubs this Easter and replace them with a county-wide club.

It comes despite concerns the authority had not fully engaged with communities about the loss of the clubs.

Cabinet member Councillor Craig ab Iago claimed the change was "difficult" but necessary.

He said: "We can't continue to do the same thing year in year out if the service does not meet the needs of young people".

Under the changes all of Gwynedd's youth clubs will close and be replaced with a county-wide club for 11-19-year-olds and a youth worker attached to every secondary school.

The current service will end this Easter, with the new system expected to begin in September.

According to a report, the new service will only need 21 part time workers and 19 full time posts, compared to the current 100 part time youth workers and 12 full time staff.

This, says the authority, will lead to estimated redundancy costs of around £138,000.

Personal support would also be given to 16-25 year olds who are facing barriers to education, training or work.

But during the meeting on Tuesday concerns were raised the authority had not done enough to quell fears in the areas set to lose youth clubs.

Meanwhile, plans to scrap a £37,960 annual grant for Gwynedd's young farmers were temporarily put on hold with the authority saying it would provide 75% of funding for another year.