Track 13

Track 13

As part of this module on youth, today we are going to look at current youth initiatives in the UK. Some of which are more successful than others, I must say. The last government spent a lot of money on setting up initiatives that sadly have been left in desperate need of funding since the new government has come into power.

Firstly, volunteering schemes are incredibly successful in the UK. These schemes are cheap to run, which is a huge benefit. In addition to this, the schemes are community based. This means that the benefits are spread widely throughout each local community.

The uptake has doubled in the last ten years and I believe this is an area where more focus should be placed. Secondly, sports clubs are a huge youth initiative, with more than 20,000 emerging in the last ten years in England alone.

Although the numbers are very positive, these schemes are expensive to staff. If these are to continue to flourish, this area will need a significant cash injection. Lastly, there are a certain number of drama clubs that have emerged in the last ten years.

Although it was thought that these would be hugely popular, they have actually attracted only small numbers of students. Moreover, they are costly, and finding a venue for such clubs has proved difficult as many local halls are running at capacity. As a result of these factors, these clubs are not likely to continue in the long term.

To conclude, as we can see, some of the schemes are flourishing, yet many are short of money and other essential resources. In order to enhance the youth experience, the government must identify new schemes which are cost effective, yet enjoyable to teens.