“All the outreach work….has all had to stop, so the chances are we’re going to see violence increase on those interfaces over the coming weeks and months”
06:30, 03 Apr 2026
Stephen Hughes outside St Peter’s Immaculata Youth Club in West Belfast(Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)
A youth club in West Belfast has warned it may be forced to close its doors at the end of June after 75 years due to changes in how youth services are funded.
New proposals will see youth funding added into the Education Authority’s budget, with no guarantee the current level of funding will be maintained.
MLAs on Stormont’s education committee heard funding was only guaranteed for the first financial quarter of 2026-27. The committee was told the £37m the EA received for youth services was no longer ring-fenced and could be used to meet other needs in education.
READ MORE: The project breaking barriers at North Belfast interface for 13 yearsREAD MORE: ‘I learned to walk again after being shot 9 times – now I’m helping others follow their dreams’
St Peter’s Immaculata Youth Centre has been operating in the Lower Falls area since 1951, providing services for young people aged from six to 25 years old. Over the past few months, seven staff members have been let go, and there are fears the centre may close at the end of June.
Speaking to Belfast Live, senior youth worker at the youth centre, Stephen Hughes, said they have already had to cut much of their outreach services that reduce anti-social behaviour in interface areas.
He said: “At the moment, we have received a contract to deliver youth services until the end of June. The policy change will mean youth services will be in competition with SEN schools and everybody else. It means the protections the youth service had in the past are no longer there.
“The contract we have at the moment keeps the youth club open, but even with the amount of funding we’ve received, we’ve had to reduce our services. We’ve had to close our substance misuse programme, we’ve had to stop all of our detached work, so our street work along the interfaces has all stopped.
“All the outreach work at the Balls of the Falls, at Townsend Street, Northumberland Street and Lanark Way has all had to stop, so the chances are we’re going to see violence increase on those interfaces over the coming weeks and months. There is nobody there to engage the young people and take them on a different sort of journey.
“Any money they have saved, they’re going to pay out in another way. They’re going to pay out in policing costs, in justice costs, in the cost of jailing young people.”
Stephen said youth services cannot afford to be lost, and highlighted the benefits they bring for young people across Northern Ireland.
“I don’t know if we’ll survive after June,” he added. “That’s the big push, the Lower Falls can’t afford to lose youth services. None of our communities can afford to lose youth services.
“Youth services are really successful in meeting young people’s needs. There are 165,000 young people across the North who are engaged with youth services, who are not going to have any services after June.
“I think we’re probably going to end up protesting at Stormont after Easter, because we’re gonna have to start getting young people’s voices up on the hill to get politicians to listen. This decision will have a very serious impact on the lives of our young people, and we’re going to fight the Education Minister on it.”
Sinn Féin MLA Danny Baker has called on Education Minister Paul Givan to reverse changes to how youth services are funded.
He said: “These reckless changes proposed by Paul Givan will cause irreparable harm to our young people and workers, and they must be reversed.
“Pitting youth work against other services is irresponsible and unacceptable. These plans are causing serious concern in our communities with many worried about the very future of youth work.”
A spokesperson for the Education Authority said: “The Education Authority recognises the vital role that youth clubs and centres play in the lives of young people across Northern Ireland, providing not just recreation but essential support for mental health, employability and personal development.
“We understand the very real uncertainty that the current funding situation is creating for youth organisations, their staff and the young people they serve, and we regret the anxiety this is causing.
“The EA has provided assurances to the community and voluntary sector that funding will be available for the first financial quarter of 2026-27 and we remain committed to supporting youth services during this period.
“However, we recognise that longer term certainty is needed for organisations to plan, retain skilled staff and deliver for young people in their communities. We will engage directly with youth organisations to provide clarity on longer term budgets as soon as possible.”
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
