Winning bids for the 2012 Why should they? campaign

12 North Yorkshire charities and groups are celebrating this week after they were chosen to receive a cash award from a pot of criminals’ cash. One of the groups is based in York

York Playspace Chill-out zones – £3,000

Providing much needed youth engagement in the deprived areas of York, the three zones or youth clubs provide a safe haven and essential emotional and practical support for 250 young people across York.

The zones cost £43,500 per year to run, 75% of which is funded from other sources. The money will go towards the remaining shortfall to help continue the project.

Many of the children who attend the zones face problems including low self-esteem, behavioural and anger problems, drug and alcohol dependent parents, parents in prison, loneliness, abuse and long term exclusion from education.

The Zones are one of the few places they can go to be supported and listened to and be themselves. The Zones give the children life skills through activities including our aspiring project to help them to grow their own food to turn into a main meal.

The Zones give young people something positive to do instead of hanging around the streets and becoming involved in criminal activity and anti-social behaviour. They are provided with a hot meal, which may be the only hot meal they get that day and which they plan, cook and prepare.

They also receive help with maths and English to equip them with key educational skills.

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North Yorkshire Police will be carrying out mobile safety camera enforcement on the following routes between Wednesday 19 December 2012 and Wednesday 2 January 2013.

•A64 west-bound Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•A64 east-bound Bowbridge Farm Tadcaster
•Millfield Lane, Poppleton, York
•Beckfield Lane, Acomb, York
•Green Lane, Acomb, York
•Temple Lane, Copmanthorpe, York
•A1036 Tadcaster Road, Acomb, York
•Skipwith Road, Escrick
•A63 Hull Road, Hemingbrough
•Church Lane, Wheldrake
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Taxpayers are typically now paying £1177 a week to fund residential accommodation for those with learning disabilities in the City.

Catering for those with physical disabilities can cost around £1465 a week.

Dozens of examples of care charges have been revealed in a response to a Freedom of information request http://tinyurl.com/care-costs-York

A scrutiny committee will be told tomorrow that an overspend of £2.6 million is being forecast on the York Councils Adult Social Services budget. They are being told that Adult care could account for 50% of the Council expenditure within the next 10 years.

The report explains, “With developments in medical science young people with complex needs are living for longer and moving from children’s services to adult services, where they can need intensive support to keep them safe and able to live a full life. 35 young people have moved from children’s to adult services in the last 2 years, which is a trend we would not have seen even 5 years ago”.

The York Council has admitted that it will not meet many of its quality and speed targets in Social Services. These include:

• A failure to place adults in settle accommodation

• Delayed care assessments

We think that it is time to conduct an in depth investigation into the performance of Social Services in York and for all the options for improvement to be publicised.

Officers enforcing the Christmas drink and drug drive campaign in North Yorkshire and the City of York have warned that it is only a matter of time before someone is killed or seriously injured by an over-the-limit driver.

Police arrested 23 people on suspicion of drink or drug driving over the weekend, taking the total number of arrests to 67 since the campaign began on 1 December.

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