Youth worker's powerful open letter to Leo Ross family as he takes aim at service cuts

Youth campaigner Nathan Dennis today leads a call for more support and funding for those working with young people in Birmingham after the shocking knife death of 12 year old schoolboy Leo Ross. The youngster became the latest victim of the scourge of knife violence in the city.

He was stabbed in the stomach minutes after leaving school on Monday afternoon, near to Scribers Lane in Hall Green, and died soon after. A 14 year old has been arrested in connection with the killing.

Nathan Dennis, founder of charity First Class Foundation, which runs projects and initiatives to protect children and young people, has today highlighted his concerns that a Home Office funded scheme designed to protect children on routes to and from school has been axed, along with drastic cuts to youth services in the city.

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The 'Step Together' scheme was set up to help children stay safe on routes home. He has now written an open letter expressing his horror at the latest tragedy and highlighting worries about funding and resourcing of intervention and support work for young people.

He addressed the letter first to 'the family and all those closest to the tragic loss of the 12-year-old child'. He said: "Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with you during this unimaginably difficult time. It is devastating to see a life so young and full of potential taken. These tragedies are becoming all too common, affecting younger individuals and leaving profound despair in their wake."

But his main message was to charities, organisations and youth workers in the city. "For those of us who work tirelessly in safeguarding, mentoring, and preserving young lives, this loss is deeply felt. It’s a stark reminder of the vital yet increasingly difficult role we play amidst the challenging realities in Birmingham today.

"The current political and economic climate has made our work harder than ever. Those of us commissioned to deliver critical services often operate within restrictive guidelines, determining who can access support.

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"Few grasp the immense risk assessment, paperwork, reporting, and monitoring behind the scenes. These pressures often leave passionate practitioners feeling burnt out, demotivated, and seeking a way out of the sector."

He expressed frustration that initiatives come and go too quickly, funded for a period and then reduced again. Among these recently were the Home Office-funded pilot Step Together, led by the West Midlands Violence Reduction Unit (VRU), designed to safeguard young people during their school journeys.

"These programmes created safety points along routes prone to antisocial behaviour and violence. Sadly, resources for such programmes have been cut, leaving a gap in protecting our children—programmes that were designed to preserve lives." He said it often fell to other organisations to try to respond and plug the gaps, but it was a challenge.

"We are training faith, community, and youth leaders through our 'Be the Change You Want to See' initiative. This equips leaders with the skills to safeguard, mentor, and support young people, filling the gap left by diminished resources and ensuring those on the frontlines have tools to persevere.

"To all working tirelessly to make a difference, we extend our deepest respect and gratitude. Youth workers, faith leaders, educators, and community champions: do not give up. Saving one life is worth every effort, and your work is not in vain.

"To the family grieving this tragic loss, and all the young people affected, our hearts are with you. We stand with you in prayer and determination to create a brighter, safer future for our children."

Mr Dennis has previously raised concerns about funding for youth services. "In a time where our city is going through increased youth violence and poor mental health resilience from the fallout of the pandemic, now more than ever we need to provide more safe spaces and support for young people.

"Our street teams out in the community are finding young people have so few safe places to go, especially free ones. We used to have over 40 youth centres, now we have just 16."

Birmingham City Council has recently announced extreme cuts to its youth service funding. Only four of the youth centres across the city will continue to be directly funded by the council, with the rest relying on partners to fund them or risk closure. The total budget for youth services will be just over £1.1 million a year.