THE budget to fund services for young people will be cut by £340,000 over the next two years.

Calderdale Council is having to save £200,000 in 2012/13 and a further £140,000 in 2013/14 in its Young People’s Services.

A scrutiny panel over the summer looked at what areas should remain priority, and they reported that while the service should remain universally accessible, it should focus its work with young people who are experiencing difficulties.

Other recommendations include reducing the number of buildings that the service operates from, encouraging volunteering and looking at whether outside bodies could provide some of the services.

Clr Colin Raistrick, Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Panel Chair, said: “We need to target this service at those young people who need it most, rather than spread our resource too thinly.

“This will be the most effective use of the reducing budget for this service.

“By making much more extensive use of volunteers, commissioning some of the service from outside organisations when they are able to provide more efficient and effective services and working in partnership with voluntary organisations, we can make our resource go a lot further.”

The council’s Cabinet will also look at building use.