Milton Keynes is now in the bottom half of local authorities for youth services funding. Since 2010, spending on youth provision has fallen by 83%. As a result, the council now invests only £26.39 per young person per year.
This pattern highlights how youth services - which are discretionary rather than statutory - are increasingly being squeezed as councils struggle to meet rising demand and costs across adult social care, housing, children’s services and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The latter two sit within the same education budgets as youth services, but are legal obligations that councils must prioritise, leaving this vital service vulnerable.
YMCA Milton Keynes runs a Youth Mentoring Programme. This includes:
- Group and 1-2-1 mentoring
- Youth clubs
- Consultations with young people
Youth mentoring impact
Feedback from the 256 youth mentoring sessions delivered in 2024/25:
- 100% had a greater belief in their own abilities
- 83% were more likely to engage in employment, education or training
- 70% experienced an improvement in their mental health
- 71% were less likely to engage in crime
- 69% were less likely to use alcohol or drugs
Hannah’s story
For several years, the world outside Hannah’s front door felt impossible.
Due to her severe social phobia and autism, Hannah had not left the house for four to five years. This began before the Covid-19 pandemic, but the isolation that followed made things even harder. Over time, her mental health declined and her anxiety became overwhelming, eventually leading to a stay in hospital.
It was there that Hannah was referred to YMCA Milton Keynes’ Youth Mentoring Programme.
With the support of her mentor, Emma, Hannah began taking small but brave steps back into the world. Together, they worked on building routines, managing anxiety, and slowly rebuilding confidence.
Through mentoring, Hannah began to push herself in ways that once felt unthinkable, such as using public transport and volunteering at a café.
Today, Hannah has built a daily routine that helps her manage stress and prepare for the day ahead. She now works part-time at a local café, a job she loves.
Before mentoring, Hannah says she felt stressed, sad and shy. Now, she describes herself as trusting, happy and comfortable.
“I would highly recommend [the Youth Mentoring programme],” Hannah said. “Definitely. It got me to where I am now.”
Annual report
YMCA England & Wales’s annual report into youth service funding shows that over the past 14 years, local authority funding for youth services in England has fallen by 76% overall. In Wales, spending has declined by 29% over the same period.
The majority of the decline reflects real financial pressure on councils. While 45% of local authorities increased spending on youth services.
The report comes shortly after the Government published its long-awaited National Youth Strategy for England, signalling renewed ambition to rebuild youth provision, strengthen the workforce and take a place-based approach to supporting young people. YMCA Milton Keynes has welcomed the direction of travel set out in the strategy, but warns that the scale of funding loss means delivery will be challenging without sustained investment.
Simon Green, CEO, YMCA Milton Keynes and YMCA Northamptonshire, said:
“Behind these figures are young people losing safe spaces and opportunities to thrive. With an epidemic of mental health issues among young people, the basics of a trusted adult, positive role models, and a sense of community are needed more than ever. To be in the bottom half of the country for funding is hugely disappointing and has a real impact.
“As an organisation championing youth voice and long advocating for the power of youth services, we welcome the renewed focus on young people nationally, but unless funding matches ambition, there is real fear that this focus will be in vain and too many young people, like Hannah, could continue to fall through the gaps.”
