Community groups are among the organisations that will get the chance to run youth centres under plans being developed by Surrey County Council to improve services for young people.

The council is finalising a proposal, which has received support from the voluntary sector and young people, for management boards made up of young people, local community leaders and county councillors to appoint a local organisation or business to run each of its youth clubs.

The authority also plans to join forces with further education colleges to run vocational courses for 16 to 19-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) at youth centres that are empty during the day.

The proposal for a new way of running youth centres is just one of the changes being put forward by the council to focus support on vulnerable young people such as NEETs while also ensuring local communities can play their part in developing youth services.

Other innovative schemes Surrey is developing include:
·        Giving each of Surrey’s 11 local committees up to £200,000 a year for grass-roots activities and projects agreed with young people from the area
·        Replacing the Connexions service for 2,000 vulnerable teenagers, offering them one to one support.
·        Giving Surrey’s three outdoor education centres (Thames Young Mariners, High Ashurst and Henley Fort) more freedom to generate income, which will be reinvested in Surrey’s teenagers
·        Hiring a company to provide information on health, careers, education and activities in Surrey.

Kay Hammond, the council's Cabinet Member for Community Services, said: “Good youth work is at the heart of the community, improves lives and makes our whole society stronger. At a time of reduced public sector spending, these innovative proposals will deliver more youth work in Surrey that will match the needs of young people today.

“It is only right we focus our resources on Surrey communities and people most in need. More than 1,000 youth organisations already exist in Surrey providing over 11,000 hours of activities a week. It makes sense to involve community groups in playing a key role in running youth centres and we’re confident their expertise and experience will continue to help us all make this a success.”

The proposed changes, which will save £4.9m by 2012, will start to happen in April next year if approved.

There are 41 youth clubs in Surrey. A total of 35 operate in buildings that are leased or owned and six are based in rented buildings.

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