‘Cut flowers, not youth services’ Unite urges Coventry
councillors
20th February 2009
Floral displays in Coventry appear to be more important than
children and youth services, Unite, the largest union in the
country, has said.
As the Conservative-controlled city council prepares to meet on
Tuesday, 24 February to decide on whether to implement £660,000 of
cuts to young people’s services, Unite has highlighted the
council’s decision to restore £92,000 to the city’s floral
displays’ budget.
"We should be nurturing the bloom of youth, not rose blooms,"
said Doug Nicholls, Unite national secretary, community and youth
workers industrial sector. "The council seems to have a distorted
view of what is really important."
If the council votes to prune children and youth services, it
will mean the closure of the remaining 14 after-school clubs and 23
summer play schemes, possibly affecting 6,000 primary school
children. Staff job cuts are also on the cards.
Unite is calling on the public to lobby councillors as they
enter the council house at noon on Tuesday, 24 February for what is
expected to be a knife-edge decision.
Doug Nicholls said: "It is time that the people of Coventry
spoke with a united and democratic voice to demonstrate that these
services, designed to inspire and care for young people and
children in their local communities, can’t be lightly
discarded."
The planned cuts to the children’s and family education
services, totalling £300,000 for the financial year 2009/10, are
coupled with the £360,000 being axed from the youth service over a
two-year period, (2007/09). The youth service gives support and
advice on sexual health, drug and alcohol misuse, community
cohesion and employment training.
Unite is calling on the council’s new chief executive, Martin
Reeve, who takes up his post on 1 April, to maintain front line
services for children and young people, and enter into ‘a
meaningful dialogue’ with the trade unions.
On 14 February about 400 people joined a Unite demonstration to
express their opposition to the cuts.
ENDS
NOTES TO NEWS EDITORS:
Pat Seaman, Vice Chair, Unite Community and Youth Workers
(Coventry) branch 07939 111 531; Doug Nicholls, national secretary,
community and youth workers industrial sector 07970 345 381;
Rachael Maskell, national officer, community and non profit sector
020 7420 8979 or 07768 693933; Shaun Noble, communications officer
(third sector) 020 7420 8951 or 07768 693 940
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