PRESSURE is mounting on Hampshire County Council to protect funding for Youth in Romsey (YiR).

HCC leader Roy Perry said he was hopeful next Monday’s meeting of the authority’s cabinet will support his proposal to make extra funding available for next year.

“If my Cabinet colleagues agree to that we will have a one-year leeway. I fully accept that there are pockets of deprivation in Romsey and residents who have greater need of support than others,” said Mr Perry.

Last month we reported that Youth in Romsey could see its funding slashed from £57,000 a year to less than £16,200 as HCC scales back its grants.

The charity are concerned they may only be able to open one day a week if the money is lost.

The news came just three months after Hampshire County and Test Valley Borough Councils ann-ounced they would fund a new £342,000 building for the charity which has outgrown its premises above Anya shoe shop in Bell Street.

Work is due to start on the new site next to the cricket pavilion at Romsey Sports Centre in the New Year ready for a summer opening.

Youth in Romsey was launched in 1997 by the town’s churches and supports 200 youngsters aged 11 to 25 every month.

An open letter from church leaders in Romsey to the council this week criticises the proposed funding cuts.

“Whilst we fully understand that cuts have to be made, we feel that the depth of these cuts will cause great pain to many in Romsey and the surrounding area. We also question the strategy that having committed to a new building for young people and recognising a need in this area, there appears little plan for staffing and the maintenance for this building to be supported by skilled people working with young people,” says the letter which is signed by Rev Canon Tim Sledge, Rev Terry Hinks, Fr George Ngwa, Rev Eric Renouf, Rev David Walker and Rev Sim Dendy.

The letter claims demand for YiR’s services is growing and outlined some of its current work: l Supporting more than 25 individuals each month with issues around self-harming, eating disorders, mental and emotional health, bullying, body image and safeguarding issues.

l Supporting more than 50 individuals each month requiring support with job related issues.

l Running a sexual health service seeing over 30 young people each month.

l Support with housing, debt and money management, work skills for young disabled people, benefits, alcohol and drugs abuse.

In reply to the churches’ letter Mr Perry said: “I am hopeful that we can maintain support for Youth in Romsey in the next financial year. I cannot pretend the situation is easy or will get any easier, so we do need to look for longer-term solutions. I make no secret of the fact that I think it is time the Town Council gave support, as many other towns right across Hampshire do for their youth clubs.” Ben Nicholls, Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Romsey , met this week with Ian Richards, Conservative councillor and YiR trustee, and its manager Wendy Herbert, to discuss the cut to staff funding.

Mr Nicholls said: “All of us understand the pressures on council budgets, but the work of Youth in Romsey is quite literally a lifeline for many young people, and it has to be protected. I’m delighted to be working with Ian as well as Lib Dem councillors to fight for this, and would urge the County Council to consider savings elsewhere.”

Mr Richards, who represents Abbey Ward on Test Valley and Romsey Town councils, said: “As a retired police officer and as a trustee of the charity, I know the importance of what the fantastic YiR staff do. It’s absolutely crucial that this work continues, and I’ll work with colleagues from any party to make that happen. Currently we’re looking forward to the new building but the prospect of having insufficient funds to staff it properly.”

He said Mr Perry’s suggestion that youth services could be funded by Romsey Town Council, citing Totton as a comparable example, was unfair as Totton & Eling Town Council’s annual income of over £1m was more than five times that of Romsey’s.

Town Mayor Peter Hurst commented, “Romsey councillors are happy to consider all grants which come to us, and five grants have been made for youth organisations in the last two years. Not one application for youth funding has been turned down in that time. But it’s disingenuous of Councillor Perry to suggest that we could possibly match the shortfall from HCC’s proposed cut, or that we have similar resources to Totton. It’s wrong to play party politics with an issue this important.”