Independent Youth Work Budget Slashed. Again.

One way in which the mayor proposes to save some money is to slash services for young people, Some £600,000 is going to be saved by cutting the grants to REIN, West Silvertown Foundation, Fight for Peace, Bonney Downs Association, AAA, the Renewal Programme and Caramel Rock.

This was the pledge from the candidate for mayor, before she had to tackle the reality of being in office.

Now it seems, she can no longer afford “a varied programme of enrichment activities for all young people”.

The Chief officers of the above mentioned groups are aware of the financial difficulties that Mayor Fiaz faces, but in a joint letter they remind her that Newham had previously agreed to a “one-year transition period”, with “no cuts until 2026-27”. 

This is a commitment that the mayor appears to have reneged on, and the various providers face having to make staff redundant in the next six weeks.

They note the lack of consultation and the “immediate and severe impact on children and young people across the borough”.

They ask for a reduction in the cuts this year, noting the lack of rationality the “cuts … are disproportionate” and “lack an evidence base”.

We wish them well, but we are not confident in their chances. This is the type of rash cost cutting that occurs when you have lost control of the budget. They may get tea and sympathy, but our assessment is that Mayor Fiaz has so little control of the budget now, that she must cut and cut again in order to keep her proverbial head above water.