Community groups' fury as Nacro wins contract to deliver youth services

A campaigner is vowing to fight a decision to take youth services away from the heart of Barrow’s communities and move them to the town centre. National crime-reduction charity Nacro takes over the contract for youth services in the town from Young Cumbria this week.

Nacro will not be funding permanent youth groups already set up at Four Groves Community Association, Abbotsvale and Roosegate community centres.

Four Groves Community Association manager, Pauline Charnley, believes anti-social behaviour will soar. She also feels children in the affected Barrow wards will lose out as they will be unable or not allowed to travel into the town centre.

Mrs Charnley said: “Nacro is only going to have two bases for youth services in Barrow town centre. We are losing all our sessions at Four Groves and those at Risedale. We have been told if there’s any problems they will come in, sort it and then go again. I’m appalled. That’s 50 plus kiddies coming here a night with nowhere local to go. We kept them off the streets and out of trouble. The police are going to have more and more things to do."

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