A TEENAGER who credits Oxfordshire’s youth service with saving his life after he got heavily involved in drugs has expressed his fears over the future of the service.

Jordan Rolfe, 17, said he was concerned about changes in how the Oxfordshire County Council service is funded, with centres relying more on volunteers.

He said: “I had a bad past and I believe the youth service saved my life.

“About three years ago I had problems with drugs and alcohol, basically just about every drug you can think of.

“I started going to the youth centre and got off the drugs, but if I hadn’t gone there, I think I would have ended up either in prison or dead.”

Mr Rolfe was so inspired by the youth workers at Banbury Youth Centre, he has now begun training with a view to going into the profession himself.

He joined a 25-strong group who went to Parliament last week to petition MPs to sign an Early Day Motion calling for a debate on support for youth services.

Council funding was withdrawn from 13 youth centres, though some form of work will continue at all of them thanks to public “Big Society” cash.

The authority has continued to fund six further centres, in East Oxford, Littlemore, Abingdon, Didcot, Witney and Banbury to tackle issues like truancy and substance abuse.

Mr Rolfe said: “I don’t want it to be that when I get all the qualifications, there are no jobs out there.”

Sober for two years, the North Oxfordshire Academy, Banbury, student said: “I was struggling at school and they helped me with my school work.

“As I was getting off the drugs they were giving me something to work on instead of getting drunk or stoned, and helped me get really into music. Now I would consider myself a semi-professional musician.”

Mr Rolfe, who plays guitar, spoke to hundreds at last Tuesday’s rally at London’s Central Methodist Hall. He was also part of a delegation to Banbury MP Tony Baldry, while others lobbied Oxford West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood.

Louise Chapman, county council cabinet member for children, education and families, said: “I would say to him do not be worried.

“Banbury has massive investment coming to its youth centre and we are running more youth centres across Oxfordshire than we ever have.”

“There will always be opportunities for fully qualified youth workers and I would tell him to go on and go forward.”