Agenda item

To receive and consider the report of the Deputy Town Clerk.

The Committee received the report of the Deputy Town Clerk which provided details of youth service spending for 2024/25 and proposed amendments for 2025/26.

Members had earlier reviewed the proposals in the report and had agreed to:

·        Continue the support of Home Start Oxford (£11,000) and The Station Detached Youth (£30,000) via the creation of new budget lines.

·        That the Youth Services Grant fund should be reinstated with a budget of £40,000 and that mental health sessions to be provided by APCAM should be considered via that fund rather than a separate budget line be established.

·        Members had also agreed that the Youth Café provision could be provided by The Station as an extension of the detached Youth Service, subject to further discussion with them.

The Committee reflected on the success of the VR Day which was run with grant support from the Town Hall Charity and had been well received, Members were in agreement that a similar event be run in 2025 and suggested that West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) be contacted to see if they would like to run it as a joint event.

Recommended:

1.      That, the report be noted and,

2.      That, WODC be approached in respect of the running of a joint VR-day styled event in 2025 and,

3.      That, a Youth Services budget remain at £40,000, re-opening for grants and,

4.      That, further APCAM mental health drop-in sessions be considered via the Youth Services Budget and,

5.      That, new budget lines of £30,000 and £11,000 be established for The Station Detached Youth Project and Home Start Oxford respectively and,

6.      That, discussions take place with The Station  over the possibility of providing a Youth Café and ,

7.      That, the above financial support be awarded under the  General Power of Competence.