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Cuts to children’s services have made the root causes of violence worse

Analysis: Boris Johnson’s move to increase police funding overlooks factors drawing young people into violence, Lizzie Dearden writes

Tuesday 24 September 2019 20:26 BST
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Experts and community leaders say cuts have deprived children of safe places to meet
Experts and community leaders say cuts have deprived children of safe places to meet

The link between government funding cuts to the police and rising violence has been repeatedly drawn, but emerging evidence suggests that other forms of austerity may have played a role.

New figures released by the YMCA showed that spending on youth services across England is to reach its “lowest point in a generation”.

The spending, covering youth clubs, recreational and leisure activities, has fallen from an annual average of £7.8m in 2010 to £2.45m this year – amounting to a 90 per cent cut in some places.

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