Funding crisis

Cuts made to the amount of support provided by the council have affected many organisations. I recently covered the impact felt by a children's scheme that has now closed due to the lack of funding from Bradford Council. Children aged between 8 and 13-years-old have been helped by the Play and Learn Zone Programme. The scheme works with young people that have been identified at most risk of committing crime, re-offending, anti-social behaviour or school exclusion.

Isara Mohammed, 11, is one of the programme's success stories. He has been able to become more confident, face difficulties in his personal life and was even crowned the winner of the Bradford Young Citizen's Awards' Stay Safe category in March. Zahida Hussain, manager of one of the partner organisations in the scheme believes the closure of the scheme will affect the community as young people will be more likely to get involved in anti social behaviour.

To read more about the closure of the programme, click here to visit the Asian Express newspaper site and flick to page 34