Fears for the future of youth service facing £360k of cuts
BASE 51 LAUNCHES ‘CHILDREN IN CRISIS’ APPEAL IN BID TO RAISE VITAL FUNDS
Nottingham has a strong volunteering sector but we’re all looking for funding
Jo Jepson (pictured)
THE chief executive of a Nottingham charity said she fears for the futures of vulnerable young people in Nottingham amid huge funding cuts to its services.
Base 51, which provides a range of services, faces an uncertain future after cash-strapped Nottingham City Council said it would cease its funding at the end of this financial year, leaving it £360,000 short of the amount agreed over the next two years.
Established in 1993 and based in Castle Gate, the organisation supports children from the age of 11 to 25.
It has now launched a “Nottingham Children In Crisis” appeal as part of its fundraising attempts next year to raise £190,000 to ensure services can continue.
Jo Jepson, the charity’s chief executive, said: “The city council has no more money to fund us. How we’re going to find that money for the next three years will rely on fundraising and business sponsorship. The city council isn’t the only place we get funding from but the funding we do get from them supports the building and youth clubs.”
Base 51 offers gym facilities for as little as £1 for youngsters, and counselling services, LGBTQ+ services and support, life skills, drop-in crisis, counselling support, early prevention work and education are also among the services it provides.
Mrs Jepson, who has worked at the charity since 2016, said: “We work with young people and offer holistic services. We see what young people’s needs are and support them. We look at the whole picture for them so they can go back into society better than before.”
She said some of the young people that have used the services have gone on to be employed by the charity.
“Our grant from the council has been going down since 2016,” said Mrs Jepson. “The city council has been transparent but we didn’t expect funding to just come to an end, full stop.
“The city council is struggling financially so we need a Plan B. The council is also cutting back on their own services so we’re looking at what our options are. We might move out of NGY [in Castle Gate].
“We want to work with the city council to find a way to keep these services. Our services are postcode neutral – it’s not just important to us, Base 51, it could save a young person going through CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services). Those referrals are costly. It’s much cheaper to run counselling sessions here.”
Mrs Jepson explained that choosing which services to cut back on would be incredibly difficult. She added: ”There’s never been a time where youth services are in need [more] than now. Because of poverty, Covid and crime, there’s a loss of opportunities for young people to get into work.
“It’s a worry about what will be here for young people in the future. Nottingham has a strong volunteering sector but we’re all looking for funding.”
Councillor Sam Webster, portfolio holder for finance and resources at the city council, said: “We are proposing to reduce the funding we provide to a number of external organisations, as our main Government grant has fallen from £127m in 2013 to just £26m now, while demand on statutory services such as care for older people and children in care increases.
“Base 51 has been receiving higher levels of subsidy from the council than other external organisations, which we can no longer sustain. We have been working with Base 51 towards them becoming self-sufficient over the years but unfortunately this has not been achieved.
“Base 51 is not wholly reliant on our grant as it also receives funds from elsewhere, and we will continue to work with them to support bids for funding from other sources.”