Chris Calls for Long-Term Funding for Youth Services in Parliamentary Debate
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Chris delivered a speech during a backbench business debate in Parliament, calling for sustained, long-term funding for youth services. He urged both the UK and Scottish Governments to invest in local authorities to secure the future of these vital services and to promote the local youth programmes that make a real difference in our communities.
During his speech, Chris highlighted a number of successful youth initiatives from across his constituency. He praised the Eastern Villages Sports Hub in Bannockburn — a collaboration between Milton Football Club, Bannockburn Rugby Club, and St Modan’s Cricket Club — which has created diverse sporting opportunities for young people. He commended the hub as a powerful example of how sport, youth work, and community development can go hand in hand.
Chris also showcased the Callander Youth Project, which transformed a former hotel into a thriving hostel and social enterprise. Not only does this initiative serve the wider community, but it also provides young people with training and employability programmes. The charity, which has been delivering youth services since 1997, continues to be a cornerstone of youth support in the area.
These examples, Chris argued, demonstrate the lasting value and impact of youth services. However, he warned that many such initiatives are being held back by “a patchwork of short-term funding.” He pointed to a broader issue — that ongoing cuts to local government budgets have made it “near impossible to deliver on statutory obligations, let alone expand services for the future.”
In Scotland, the situation is particularly concerning, with the Scottish Government having delivered a real-terms cut of over 15% to core budgets for local authorities. This leaves councils with little to no capacity to expand, or in some cases even sustain, youth services.
Chris also recently attended the Dunblane & Doune Cricket Festival, where he saw firsthand the importance of locally supported youth events. There, he met with representatives from Active Stirling and the Doune & Dunblane Cricket Club to discuss the value of active learning in schools. He emphasised that without local government backing, events like this would simply not be possible.
Watch the full speech below:
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