Andover Town Council Refuses ACE Youth Funding Application

Andover Community Engage (ACE) has confirmed that its application for funding to support its youth provision has been refused by Andover Town Council.

The decision follows a council meeting on Wednesday evening which saw parents, young people and residents attend in support of ACE Youth and speak about the impact the service has on the local community.

In a statement issued following the decision, ACE said it had been informed that councillors recognised the “exceptional breadth and quality” of the services it provides, as well as the level of community support demonstrated during the meeting.

The organisation said it had also been told that the decision was not a reflection of the quality or value of ACE Youth.

However, according to ACE, the Town Council concluded that the organisation’s financial viability did not meet the requirements set out within its grant criteria and policy and, as a result, the application could not be supported.

ACE described the outcome as “incredibly difficult” to accept and highlighted what it believes is an irony at the heart of the decision.

The organisation said: “We cannot receive funding because we do not have enough funding.”

ACE said its efforts to secure the funding date back to June 2025, when it originally approached the Town Council.

According to the organisation, it was told at the time that the council did not yet have the necessary processes in place to award the grant funding.

ACE said it subsequently submitted another application once the process became available, but after a further three-month process has now been refused on the basis that its financial position was considered too great a risk.

The organisation is also calling for greater transparency over how the decision was reached.

ACE said its application was considered during a confidential session of the council meeting. It has requested that the recorded vote showing how councillors voted be made public and said the Town Council is currently taking legal advice over whether that information can be released.

The organisation also intends to make a formal request for disclosure of information surrounding the decision.

ACE stressed that its response was not intended as an attack on individual councillors, but said it wanted greater accountability and transparency around the process.

It said it wanted to understand how a community youth service which, according to ACE, councillors had recognised as valuable could become financially vulnerable and then have that financial vulnerability used as a reason for refusing funding.

Despite the setback, ACE has insisted that its youth provision will continue fighting for its future.

The organisation also thanked the parents, young people and residents who attended the meeting, contacted councillors, shared its campaign and spoke publicly about the importance of ACE Youth.

In its statement, ACE told supporters: “You did not fail ACE Youth. You showed exactly how much this provision matters.”

It concluded: “The Council has said no. We haven’t. ACE Youth isn’t giving up.”

The refusal comes after a public campaign by ACE and its supporters calling for funding to help safeguard youth services in Andover.

Attention is now likely to turn to what options remain available to ACE Youth, as the organisation seeks alternative support to secure the future of its services.

Love Andover has contacted Andover Town Council for a response to ACE’s statement and the decision to refuse the funding application. This article will be updated if a response is received.