More than 400 pupils urge Jyväskylä to reopen youth centre

More than 400 pupils in Jyväskylä are calling on the city to reopen youth centre Spotti, which closed this autumn. Yle reported that 442 pupils from grades 5 to 9 at Keljonkangas Comprehensive School signed a statement calling for it to reopen.

The pupils handed the statement to Jasmine Repo, chair of the city’s education committee, last week. Repo said the committee has not yet discussed the issue.

The pupils say the nearest other youth centres are in Korpilahti and Kuokkala, and reaching them requires a lift or a paid bus journey. They say Spotti also served young people from Säynätsalo, Muuratsalo and Lehtisaari, which do not have their own youth centre.

In their statement, the pupils describe Spotti as an important and safe place to spend time. They say having adults present helps reduce bullying and harassment, and that the centre gives young people a chance to make friends and talk with youth workers.

Katariina Soanjärvi, the city’s youth services director, said Spotti and the Korpilahti youth workshop were temporarily closed because there are not enough staff. She said unexpected closures in recent years had left young people unsure when centres would be open, so the city decided to close some facilities.

The city is preparing next year’s opening hours, but Soanjärvi said resources are not expected to increase unless additional funding is included in next year’s budget. Repo said she could not promise the centre would reopen while discussions were ongoing and the city’s finances were tight.

The city council decides on funding when it approves the budget. The education committee is due to decide on the operating plan, including Spotti’s future, at its December meeting.