THE mayor of Okehampton has pleaded with Devon County Council to keep the town's youth centre Room 13 open, amid concerns over its future. Mayor Cllr the Rev Mike Davies and deputy mayor Cllr Paul Vachon visited the centre on April 9 to meet with youngsters and talk about their concerns over the centre's future. Devon County Council, which funds the centre, has announced plans to cut the youth services budget by almost £1-million as part of its overall budget cut of £110-million by 2017, threatening the future of Devon's 34 youth centres. A new model for the youth service is currently under consultation. The new model would see the council's youth service move from being an open access, universal facility to become a service providing targeted support for young people most in need. Cllr the Rev Mike Davies has been an advocate of Room 13, having abseiled down St James' Chapel in 2013 to raise funds for the centre. He has contacted Devon County councillors Kevin Ball and James McInnes stressing the importance of the centre to the town and area. Mayor Davies said: 'I fully understand why Devon County Council needs to make fundamental changes in funding. However, Okehampton serves very much as a hub in a large rural area. Many of the suggested funding cuts will only provide for a short-term gain. 'Vital funding is being removed from the vulnerable in Okehampton who are both young and old. I believe that unless some of these provisions are retained, we are likely to see an increase in anti-social behaviour in the young and an increased loneliness with the old.' The mayor said the meeting with youngsters proved invaluable to appreciating the importance of the centre. He said: 'It quickly became evident that the centre delivers incalculable support and encouragement to the young people of not just Okehampton but the surrounding area. 'Paul and I heard about the help that many of them had received concerning a variety of social issues ranging from anger management to dealing with problems at home. 'Several of those who attend Room 13 are vulnerable. It was wonderful to hear how many of them had functioned together and through the encouragement of county council youth worker Fiona Bush and her team, had begun to increase in confidence. As an example, several of them have started to thrive and re-start education. 'Room 13 is an essential part of our community. I recognise the value that most youth centres in Devon have and will be putting their case forward and saying something similar. In saying that, I also appreciate that youth clubs are a vital part of society in general. 'However, I believe that Room 13 is a success due to a regular space being available with a dedicated youth worker. This cannot be replicated by the hire of a room for a few hours each week and the non-provision of on-site youth workers. 'Through the questions that Paul and I raised to the members it was clear that a dedicated youth worker is crucial. Trust and reliability were mentioned over and over by the young people we met. The Room 13 members were realistic and had researched into other possibilities but were concerned that if parents, or friends of parents, were left to run youth centres, a lot of the key issues would not be discussed as there would be an uncertainty over confidentiality. 'I appreciate that there is need for consultation but my concern is that local youth workers, like Fiona, who are trusted by the young people and have been loyal, may now seek employment elsewhere before key decisions are made.' A spokesman for the Council said: 'Doubtless, the service at Room 13 is valued by the young people who use it. However, we have got to cut £110-million from our budget by 2017 and can no longer afford to run or manage non-statutory services like local youth clubs. 'We need to target our professional youth service work on helping the most vulnerable young people in our communities.  'Many independent and voluntary groups already provide excellent youth clubs and activities for young people in West Devon, and we're inviting people to come forward with fresh ideas for services they could provide, possibly using our premises, for which some limited support from the county council may be available.  'Consultation is ongoing until April 27 and no decisions will be made until after we have had chance to look at all the response we've received.'