Young protesters stormed council meeting
Bethan Evans, Reporter, Weston Mercury Thursday, November 17, 2011
CROWDS of young people stormed the North Somerset Executive meeting on Tuesday night, protesting against the proposed £600,000 cuts to their youth services. Many youth workers and young protesters made their case to councillors to urge them to stop the cuts which are proposed in the council budget for next year. One of the youth workers, Charlie Lane, said: “The young people want their views and opinions heard. You are trying to steal their future and if you do that you will pay when these young people could be sat in your seats.” Another speaker, on behalf of youth workers, Jean Lord said: “If there is no youth services run by experienced and trained workers, untrained volunteers may move in their own agendas, the extremes of which could be religion and political agendas. “They could then impart that on to young people and who knows how many others will become troubled.” Dozen of young protesters came with placards and chanted in the Town Hall to get their voices heard, while supported by family and friends. Councillor Mike Bell, the leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on North Somerset Council, said: “The plans to cut the youth service to almost nothing are absolutely the wrong kind of choice to be making. We will do everything we can to persuade Conservative council leaders to think again. “It was great to see so many young people turn out at the Town Hall. It is so important that councillors listen to the voice of local people and I hope the force of this protest ruffled a few feathers in our stuffy council chamber.”
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