Core funding for Salmon Youth Centre, Bermondsey

Dear Sadiq,

Re: Salmon Youth Centre, Bermondsey

I have been contacted by Adrian Greenwood, Chair of Trustees of Salmon Youth Centre (SYC) in Bermondsey about ongoing revenue funding issues.

For background: the site SYC uses was purpose built around 15 years ago by Southwark Council and Hyde Housing as part of a wider development, and four years ago combustible cladding was found across the estate. SYC was awarded a Building Safety Fund grant and is more than half-way through completing the works, which Adrian says are: “on time and on budget… with thanks to the GLA who are administering the grant on behalf of the DLUH&C.”

However, because of the cladding issue SYC have incurred extra costs approaching £400,000 on increased insurance premiums (up 20-fold) and legal fees. This has had a massive impact on their reserves, which the Centre normally maintains at six months of their annual turnover.

The issue the Centre faces is raising the revenue needed to keep its services running, and while it applies for all the funding it can, grant making is all too often based around projects, not for paying insurance costs. This is about funding SYC’s core costs to keep the facilities going.

I know that you recognise the need to provide young people in London with support, given the investments you have made during your last two terms to the Mayor’s Fund for London, mentoring for vulnerable young people, Go! London and the Young Londoners Fund, among other schemes.

However, this is about revenue funding for a youth service that welcome arounds 500 young people from all backgrounds, between six and 25 years old, through its doors every week.

The first ask in the London Youth London Mayoral Manifesto: Our priorities for the next Mayor of London, is:

“Further transitioning from programmatic funding to core costs and unrestricted grants is required. The needs of young people are now significantly greater with displacement post-pandemic and a deepening cost-of-living crisis. Almost half of our members surveyed in 2023 fear that they won’t be able to operate for more than a year. Youth organisations are running on reserves and the goodwill of their largely volunteer workforce.”

The Salmon Youth Centre, through no fault of its own, is one of these services at risk. Who can you put them in touch within the GLA to discuss accessing the urgent revenue funding they need, so they can keep providing the support that is so essential to young Londoners in Southwark?

Yours sincerely,

Sian Berry
Green Party Member of the London Assembly