The Green Party deputy leader spoke of the importance of youth services
The Green Party’s deputy leader, Zack Polanski, met with parents, carers and young people concerned about the closure of the very popular and much loved Totnes Youth Centre and the withdrawal of Devon County Council (DCC) funded youth services at Rushbrook. Local MP Carolyn Voaden was also present to lend her support to the protest.
Zack said, “We know how important working with young people is. We also know we’ve had 15 years of Conservative austerity government. Now we have Labour, nothing’s really changing, services are not being funded properly. We keep being told there is no alternative, but we know there is an alternative. There is plenty of money and wealth in this country, and we’ve seen poor people get poorer, we’ve seen rich people get richer, and we need to rebalance our economy.
“The consequence of decisions like closing this youth centre, whether it’s in Totnes, wherever it is in the country, is a complete false economy. Because we know it pushes people in worst cases into the criminal justice system, we know that we hear about anti -social behaviour, we hear about people hanging out in the street, wherever youth are meant to go, if you don’t provide them a service. Its simply not fair and ill thought out.”
Zack gave his support to long-standing Green Party county councillor Jacqi Hodgson’s efforts to change the council’s position on the unannounced closure of the centre and reduction in services. He said, “Today’s rally demonstrates how important it is to have a committed and dedicated local councillor working for and with local people. Today’s young people need local youth services and centres where they can relax, make friends and have trusted adults they can relate to. The Green Party is very proud of Cllr Jacqi Hodgson’s track record of hard work and her engagement with young people. The fact that she set up the wonderful TRAYE Youth group that works with over 900 young people in both rural and urban local areas is testament to her dedication. If Jacqi wasn’t working to restore these services and highlighting what’s been going on with the youth centre and local services, they would have just been quietly disappeared”.
County councillor Jacqi Hodgson, with Dr Sally Murrall-Smith handing in a petition to DCC on 24 April 2025
Cllr Hodgson called the rally at Totnes Youth Centre for people to express their dismay and concerns about the sudden closure of the popular purpose-built youth centre in Totnes. She said, “The very recent notice to local people and myself of this closure has been met with almost disbelief. No one has yet told me where this decision has come from. The loss of this dedicated youth space added to the withdrawal of many of the directly funded local youth services has created a huge shock wave in the community and has long term implications for our young people’s wellbeing.”
Cllr Hodgson was initially contacted by DCC officers as the Chair of Totnes Rural Youth Engagement (TRAYE) project, which she initiated in 2015 and currently serves over 900 young people in eight locations around the South Hams. She said. “DCC simply asked TRAYE to take over some of their Totnes-based services, which is now being negotiated. However DCC did not offer full funding to cover the costs of paid youth workers and at the same time announced that Rushbrook Youth Centre was being closed and youth evenings would have to find another venue. A terrible decision at a time when we know so many young people are suffering high levels of anxiety and in the absence of enough youth facilities and services, are left at the mercy of predatory social media.”
Parents of young people who were regular attendees at Rushbrook brought their concerns to the full Devon County Council meeting on Thursday 24th April and handed in a petition with 425 signatures of people seeking the reopening of Rushbrook Youth Centre. Cllr Hodgson also tabled questions at that meeting. The call for reopening is also supported by local MP Caroline Voaden.
Read more about Zack Polanski’s visit to Totnes
Watch Zack Polanski and Cllr Jacqi Hodgson speaking at the Rushbrook protest