Local Liberal Democrat councillors have expressed concern that a ‘ban’ on allocating ward funding could lead to planned summer holiday activities for young people being axed.

In recent years, Lib Dem councillors in wards across the city have jointly commissioned York Knights Foundation and York City Football Club Foundation to deliver free activity sessions for young people, which also included the provision of drinks and snacks. These sessions are open to all. When the council budget for 2023/24 was passed in February, Lib Dem councillors protected ward funding so that schemes such as these could continue.

Dringhouses & Woodthorpe’s Lib Dem councillors have now been told by council officers that they cannot allocate some of the 2023/24 ward budget to fund activities for young people in the July / August summer holiday period. It is understood that this ‘ban’ has been imposed as the incoming Labour administration plans to propose an ‘emergency’ budget in July, meaning that ward funding is in limbo.

Dringhouses & Woodthorpe councillor Stephen Fenton has called on the new administration to commit to retain the full ward funding allocations agreed in February, so that ward schemes and projects can go ahead.

He said “The summer holiday sessions run by the Knights and York City have been very popular, and at a time when family budgets are stretched, the ability to offer free-of-charge activities is more important than ever. It would be such a shame if we had to axe the planned summer programme because of a ban on allocating the ward funding that was agreed back in February.

“At this time of year, ward councillors would ordinarily be inviting local voluntary and charitable organisations to apply for ward funding to support local projects that benefit the community. It now looks as though we won’t be able to do this, unless there is a commitment from the new administration to protect ward funding.”