UK Youth has proposed 14 redundancies at its New Forest outdoor activity centre because the pandemic has placed “a significant strain” on the outdoor learning sector.
This means the workforce at the centre, Avon Tyrrell, is expected to reduce from 39 to 25 staff, but will remain open.
It provided 71,000 engagement days for young people last year, and UK Youth said that without taking action now, the charity would probably be forced to close the whole centre permanently.
Ndidi Okezie, chief executive of UK Youth, said: “Over the past six months, our staff at Avon Tyrrell have been working incredibly hard to continue to deliver outdoor learning, despite the unbelievably difficult challenges in income that Covid-19 has brought.
“This is a very sad day in the history of this charity. I have seen firsthand how much the opportunity to experience outdoor learning changes a young person. It is particularly painful given the unwavering dedication of our staff throughout this pandemic. I want to thank staff for their commitment and professionalism throughout this process.”
UK Youth provides young people with life skills, delivered through a network of local youth organisations which make up the UK Youth Movement.
The UK Youth Movement is made up of over 7,000 local youth organisations across the UK.
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