Sir – Oxfordshire has 27 youth centres, of which the county are proposing to close 20, leaving seven as hubs with a focus on youth activities there.

However, surely the essence of a youth centre is that it is local, not the other side of Oxford/shire. Far from there being fewer youth centres, more are needed.

Young people, especially teenage boys, need to have somewhere to go to meet, that is supervised, ‘safeish’, and where there are activities available, rather than having to mooch around the streets.

Like the libraries the county will save £2m over four years, at any rate in theory, by closing these youth centres.

Unlike the libraries they are not used by such a wide range of the community, but they are a benefit to our younger generation. Frequently manned by volunteers, they are part of the Big Society already in place.

Proposed for closure are: Eynsham, Wheatley, Wantage, Chiltern Edge, Thame, Wolvercote, Headington Saxon Centre, Cutteslowe, Carterton, Bampton, Standlake, Chipping Norton, Faringdon, Wallingford, Henley, Cholsey, Chalgrove, Chinnor, Watlington and Wood Farm.

Recently £640,000 has been given to the county to continue music services, this was already budgeted for. £300,000 of this money is now proposed be given to support libraries. £340,000 is proposed to be given to Oxfordshire’s 1,800 adults with learning difficulties.

As well as social care funding from the county, adults with learning difficulties also get funding from the NHS and education.

I realise it is a difficult choice, but more than 1,800 youngsters are going to be deprived of youth centres which once closed will be difficult to restart. These youngsters have needs too.

It would help in the short term if this money was diverted to funding Oxfordshire’s youth centres, giving them more time to find ways round these proposed drastic cuts.

Rosanne Bostock, Oxford