​Youth clubs should be nurtured, not neutered - Steve Cardownie

I was saddened to see that The Citadel Youth Centre in Commercial Street, Leith, is facing a significant cut in its financial grant from the council.

Councillor Joan Griffiths, education, children and families convener for the City of Edinburgh Council

​ Going from an annual grant of £175,000 down to £50,000 for the next three years is a sore one and will be keenly felt by the volunteers and staff, to say nothing of the youngsters who face seeing some of their activities wiped out.

I know the centre’s manager, Willie Barr, who has held that position for 21 years and whose dedication to the young people of Leith is second to none.

Cllr Joan Griffiths, Convener of the Education, Children and Families Committee up in the High Street, has the undesirable task of presiding over a roll out of financial cuts to worthy organisations. She said that “The quality of applications for the grants programme was extremely high with many creative and well-presented submissions.”

Councillors will have to make choices that they would rather not have to make but given that they are faced with financial bids of £16.7m from a budget of £10m it leaves them with the unenviable task of “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

I know the work that the Citadel undertakes, and the benefits it brings to the young people of the area so it dismays me that Willie Barr will have to pick up the pieces if the cut goes through.

Willie is a hardworking, committed centre manager and I can only hope that there will be a reprieve and that the council will find the necessary monies to ensure that youth clubs are adequately funded.

They provide a much needed, valuable service, which local communities prize and which should be nurtured – not neutered.