YOUTH groups have turned out in force to try and save the organisation which administers their council grants.

Bexley Council for Voluntary Youth Organisations (BCVYO) was set up by Bexley Council in 1993 to take over the distribution of youth grants from the council.

But the council has been reviewing the way it gives grants to voluntary groups, who now need to meet certain criteria to qualify.

And after reviewing BCVYO’s business plan, cabinet member for youth services Councillor Simon Windle decided it did not meet the council’s new objectives and took a decision to give BCVYO three months notice it was no longer needed.

Because of the reaction by youth groups, several councillors “called in” the decision so the reasons could be explained and debated at a special youth services call-in meeting.

Chairman of the meeting, Councillor Linda Bailey explained there were concerns the money being distributed by BCVYO was not going to groups catering for hard-to-reach young people such as ethnic minorities, travellers and the disabled.

BCVYO currently distributes the money on a 20p per head basis to groups who apply and was not willing the change that formula.

Some groups were worried council cash for existing groups would be diverted to these causes.

But Cllr Bailey assured them there were no plans to cut their funding.

Director of children’s services Deborah Absalom said there was concern these groups were not being encouraged by BCVYO to get involved.

She explained the council wanted to get away from a system whereby groups just received cash, to one where they accounted for how they spent it, which she said was “not unreasonable”.

The groups discovered that while BCVYO was being axed, Bexley did not yet have anything set up to replace it. Cllr Windle said the council would pay the administration cost of any new scheme, estimated at around 10 per cent of the grant cash available.

The groups also spoke about the support given by BCVYO and said most groups met in the evenings and were staffed by volunteers with full-time jobs.

If the new scheme was administered by council staff who only worked 9am to 5pm, they added, when would they be able to get support.

But Cllr Windle will not be changing his decision.

Cllr Bailey said the meeting would recommend groups should be given simpler applications forms, better dialogue with the council and a guarantee they would not lose out on current funding.