‘We’re on a cliff edge’: the struggle to keep youth services alive in Knowsley

Despite high needs, the Merseyside borough has the most youth work black holes' of any local authority in England

• Youth work black holes' in half of all council areas in England, study finds

I feel like I'm failing because I can't reach everyone," said Toni Dodd, the centre manager at Karma in the Community, a youth service in Knowsley on the outskirts of Liverpool.

I'll go over and get kids hanging outside the shops, bring them in, but it's who am I not reaching? It just takes one thing and they're on that track into crime, into drugs. There are kids going into school on ketamine. I do all I can but it's so hard to keep it open and running, and you can't meet the demand there is."