YOUNG people are stepping up their campaign to protest against Wiltshire Council’s £500,000 cuts to youth services.

The council is considering making 140 youth workers redundant and closing up to 24 youth centres across the county.

It has come up with four money-saving options including reducing or outsourcing the service, encouraging staff to form a public service mutual company or developing a “community led” approach where area boards can decide to invest money in projects or services for young people.

Fears have been raised for the future of services like Bass Connection at Grosvenor House and the Bridging Project, which gives disabled and able bodied young people a chance to socialise together.

Some services are expected to move to the new community campus at Five Rivers but young people say they won’t be the same if the youth workers they have grown close to are made redundant.

They have launched a YouTube video explaining what the service means to them and there are petitions and Facebook groups.

Salisbury singer Russ Parsons, pictured, who performs with successful Salisbury band The Deloreons said: “For me, Bass Connection provided the tools to nurture my interest in music and provided me with access to other like-minded individuals, many of whom I am still friends with and a few that I now work with 15 years on.

“The staff were encouraging and inspiring, everything about it felt like a second home.

“I am where I am today, with my own business and providing an income for others, because of the fantastic people at Bass Connection. It's not just a place for bands to rehearse, it's a social space like nothing I have ever experienced, a family in which people care for each other - music is just the catalyst.”

A ten-week consultation is underway with young people being consulted on what activities they would like in their local communities as part of a wideranging review.

The council says a “relatively low percentage of young people aged between 13-19 access the council’s youth activities while the majority are likely to be involved in other community, voluntary and commercially provided activities.”

Laura Mayes, cabinet member for children services, said: “The needs of young people today are very different from the provision put in place ten years ago and the future activities for young people needs to move with the times.

“We are calling on communities to help us shape youth provision and activities. We need to reach more young people while ensuring our service is cost effective.

We are encouraging everyone to look at the options and respond to the survey so we can ensure as many people as possible have their say.”