DEVON County Council is faced with making massive savings to its budgets.

Many of the services it offers, including youth service provision, are under review.

Nick Way, County Councillor for Crediton Rural, visited CreditonYouth Centre to encourage young people who use the Centre to take part in a Devon County Council consultation of its youth service provision.

He also discussed with the young people his thoughts about how it could deal with the funding crisis, including seeking funds from other areas, about a committee of local people running youth provision and other options.

Options he also broached were that Queen Elizabeth's Academy may like to take a lead on the youth service provision or the possibility of it being provided at a new venue, suggesting Lords Meadow Leisure Centre as one option should funding to keep the current building open not be found.

He urged everyone to take part in the consultation, which can be found online at: http://new.devon.gov.uk/youthreview">http://new.devon.gov.uk/youthreview .

Mel Stride, the MP for Central Devon, said of the funding problems faced by Devon County Council with regard to youth service provision: "The result looks likely to see far less funding from DCC for general youth services (although various statutory provision will still be maintained).

"For all of us who care about our local youth clubs the response must now be to engage positively with local communities, to search not just for additional sources of funding but also for partnerships that can help to run these clubs.

"The delivery model may need to change – the paid professional youth worker will still need to be there at the centre of each club but new partnerships and greater volunteer support will be key."

He has visited a number of youth clubs within his constituency.

Afterwards, he said: "They are great resources and we need to keep them going.

"If you have any ideas on how local communities can better help preserve and improve local youth clubs please get in touch.

"My offer to help fundraise and facilitate local community engagement is there for every youth club in my constituency."

Alan Quick