Malachi Nunes runs Ambitious Lives, a youth mentoring programme supporting ‘at risk’ young people in the city. He fears grassroots organisations will struggle to cope with added demand after it was revealed Birmingham’s youth service will become a ‘skeleton service’. Just 23 staff Birmingham City Council is working to reduce its youth service budget by £1.2 million this year after declaring itself effectively bankrupt last year, but youth workers fear the cuts will push young people into the arms of gangs.