In November 2018, Phillip Alston, the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty visited the

Bollo youth club in Acton, west London. At the time of his visit, the Bollo was having to move
its premises to a building half its original size and the club members were upset and worried
about the transition.

The Guardian’s social affairs editor, Robert Booth, talks to Anushka Asthanaabout how he and
producer Joshua Kelly spent four months with two teenagers from the Bollo. They talk about the
difficulties of life in an area riven by gang violence and huge inequality. Rising knife crime
coincides with deep cuts to the UK’s youth facilities. Since 2012, 760 youth clubs have closed
and 4,500 youth worker jobs have been lost, according to analysis by Unison. Since 2010,
English councils have slashed 62% from their spending on youth services – more than £700m.

Plus: Helen Pidd discusses why school cuts are forcing the headteacher of a school in Stockport
to close at lunchtime on Fridays.

Photograph: Paul Davey / Barcroft Images

More ways to listen

 Apple Podcasts
 Google Podcasts
 Spotify
 Download

More from this series


 Brexit means breakfast: behind the scenes at a Brussels all-nighter – podcast

The parent protests that stopped LGBT equality lessons – podcast

Can the Conservative party survive Brexit? – podcast

King Bibi: can anyone beat Benjamin Netanyahu?

Advertisement

Support The Guardian

The Guardian is editorially independent. And we want to keep our journalism open and
accessible to all. But we increasingly need our readers to fund our work.
 Support The Guardian





Shares
207

Topics

 Knife crime

 Today in F ocus

 London

 School fundi ng

 Young people

 Youth unemployment

 Youth j ustic e

 Gangs

Today in Focus

Hosted by Anushka Asthana, Today in Focus brings you closer to Guardian journalism.
Combining personal storytelling with insightful analysis, Today in Focus is The
Guardian's daily podcast that takes you behind the headlines for a deeper understanding
of the news, every weekday.


Podcast Brexit means breakfast: behind the scenes at a Brussels all-

nighter
Podcast

Published:12 Apr 2019

Brexit means breakfast: behind the scenes at a Brussels all-nighter

Podcast The parent protests that stopped LGBT equality lessons

Podcast

Published:11 Apr 2019

The parent protests that stopped LGBT equality lessons



Podcast Can the Conservative party survive Brexit?