More than 8,000 young adults will have “nowhere to go” if planned cuts to youth clubs go ahead, protesters say.

Some 80 commissioned groups are at risk as Kent County Council (KCC) looks to save £900,000 a year from its budget.

The Gifted Young Gravesham (GYG) project, which works with young people in north west Kent, will have to “fight for its funding” if the plans go ahead.

Committee members Liam Barden, 16, and Amelia Hickinbotham, 18, say that the plans will see youth groups across Gravesend shut their doors.

They said: “The group means a lot to us and it’s scary that it might not be around as young adults may get involved with drugs or anti-social behaviour.

“We have teenagers wanting to get involved with our activities or seeking help walking through our doors every week.

“Everything we provide young people is free, with activities and workshops on offer four days a week, youth clubs in rural areas, trips to events in London and visits to colleges.

“We are lucky that we may be able to find alternative methods of financing but a lot of groups don’t even have that so will close.”

The group has launched a petition in a bid to have its voice heard by KCC and will be protesting against the scheme next Thursday (August 17) outside County Hall in Maidstone.

To view the petition click here.

This comes after KentOnline reported that 35 children's centres face closure in the restructuring of community services.

Meanwhile, chief executive of Swale's The Brogdale CIC Group, Rebecca O’Neill, says the cuts are “not the wisest decision” and will only escalate costs of other services.

Vibe Community and Southern Housing have run the Swale Youth Consortium for six years, which provides support and activities for more than 2,000 young adults.

The consortium runs Sheerness, Rushenden, Newington, and Teynham youth clubs as well as Sittingbourne Skatepark Monday Night Youth Clubs for those with special educational needs.

The project has seen rapid growth in the number of young people wanting to attend youth clubs, resulting in three new ones opening in the area.

The cuts come amid a flood of reports of anti-social behaviour in both Sittingbourne and the Isle of Sheppey.

In July a grandmother from Queenborough spoke of her horror after witnessing ‘feral’ kids stoning a duck to death, just weeks after a cancer patient missed an important appointment after youths trashed his car in a suspected revenge attack after he challenged them for using catapults on local homes and wildlife.

Meanwhile, a Chalkwell bus driver called the police due to Sittingbourne Bus Hub due to anti-social youths last Friday, August 4.

The town’s KFC has even banned groups of teenagers from going in the restaurant at weekends, due to trouble.

According to Mrs O’Neill the cuts will only make these problems worse.

She said: “We have built wonderful relationships with young people and their families over the last six years and people now trust us.

“If our youth workers are taken away there will be nowhere for our young adults to go and will look for other places to hang out with their mates.

“I can understand why KCC is trying to save money however if you take away this provision then costs in other areas like policing, mental health and domestic violence support are going to go up.

“The fact that the clubs are affordable means it’s a place where teenagers can come and have their tea-time meal during a cost-of-living crisis when families are finding it difficult to provide services.

“Teenagers need a space where they can take ownership, away from the family unit, where here they can ask questions, make mistakes and try out things for the first time.

“Few young adults want their first kiss under the noses of their families or to ask about relationship issues or identity or wellbeing issues with an audience.

“We need to be sending the message to young people that they are valued.”

The group has now launched its own petition to stop KCC from removing youth funding from commissioned services.

To view the petition click here.

The cuts aim to save £913,000 as part of KCC’s bid to shave £58 million off its budget by February.

“The group means a lot to us and it’s scary that it might not be around.”

It plans not to renew its contracts with youth service providers when they end in March 2024.

The council will look to meet its statutory needs requirement – a list of legal duties set out by the government – by implementing the national “family hub” model, which is under consultation.

These would bring together different services for the entire family in one building.

The plans went out to public consultation last month, and people have until Wednesday, September 13 to share their views.

To view the consultation click here.

KCC’s cabinet member for integrated children’s services, Sue Chandler, has encouraged young people and their families to engage in the consultation.

She said: “We will continue to provide KCC services for young people and their families, which would remain a mix of activity within KCC centres and outreach locations.

“We will also continue to develop community-based youth work by supporting existing local volunteer-led groups. We will develop services specifically for families of young people, targeting where there is greatest need.

“We would encourage young people and families that might be affected by this proposal to take part in our family hubs consultation so that we can understand their views on what the proposed changes would mean.”