At their recent party conference in Bournemouth, Liberal Democrat members approved a new policy seeking to boost youth work. Noting the many ways in which youth workers can change lives and make a difference to communities, the party called for the government to support charity-run youth services to access more funding and share best practice. They also want ministers to commit to a long-term funding settlement to support youth work, resources and infrastructure – pointing to research which suggests that every £1 spent on youth work generates £6.40 in returns, by reducing pressure on public services and delivering lasting benefits for society. In addition, they would like to see the appointment of a dedicated cabinet minister for children and young people.
Elsewhere at the conference, there were calls from the Young Liberals for certainty for Ukrainian children living in the UK since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. They want to see visas for Ukrainians already granted status and residing in the UK automatically extended, as well as establishing a pathway to indefinite leave to remain for Ukrainians who have integrated into British life and wish to stay long-term. They are also calling for GCSEs and A-levels in the Ukrainian language to be reestablished, enabling young people can maintain ties to their culture and language while progressing academically. Similarly, to support language retention and cultural identity, they want to see Ukrainian language books and educational materials be widely available in schools and libraries.
Greensheets will have news from other party conferences in the coming weeks.