A south London youth charity has announced that its services will return to council control after its closure.
Youth First, which provided free after-school and holiday provision at playgrounds and youth clubs for children and young people across Lewisham borough, closed on 31 March.
The organisation had initially been part of Lewisham council’s youth services before registering as a separate charity in 2021.
But after facing financial difficulties, the council took the charity’s activities back under its control from 1 April.
The charity had been running at a deficit according to its most recently filed accounts for the year to March 2024, with its total income standing at £1.66m while its total expenditure was £1.90m.
CEO: Charity had ‘risk-averse governance structure’
Chris Price, who had been Youth First’s CEO since February 2024, described the charity on social media as suffering from a “risk adverse [sic] governance structure” which meant that the charity eventually “lost its purpose” and “rightly” went into liquidation.
“By the time I had joined, it was already too late to rescue the charity, we made good strides in increasing moral [sic] and reducing costs,” Price added.
“But the charity was too far apart from the funder’s ambitions.”
Price nevertheless praised the charity’s “brilliant” staff team, 37-strong according to its latest accounts, and cited several of its recent accomplishments, including increasing activities and the number of young people attending sessions run by the charity.
Youth First follows other youth charities that have recently closed, including YMCA George Williams College, with a recent report by Social Investment Business warning that many face funding and other financial challenges.
Civil Society has contacted Lewisham Youth Services for comment.
