A PLEA has been made to provide funding for LGBT+ youth cafe.

Shropshire Youth Association (YTA) says that there has been a rise in homophobic hate crime in the county, and the issue has been highlighted in meetings with police in Oswestry.

Oswestry town councillors will discuss a request from YTA on Monday for funding to increase the number of XYZ youth group meetings in the town from once to twice a month.

The application told how Shropshire Council provided funding for a two-term project at the Marches School for LGBT+ pupils, which ended in March - and the group continued the scheme until the end of the school year.

The association has already secured Children in Need funding for XYZ meetings which are held twice a month in Shrewsbury and once in Oswestry and Telford.

YTA said that the tow council funding would add another Oswestry meeting.

The application added that the Oswestry meetings would benefit young people in the town and surrounding rural areas, and would indirectly help to reduce demand on mental health services, police, children's social care and the judicial service.

It would also help to increase attendances at schools, the application said.

Oswestry Town Council's Finance and General Purposes Committee will consider the application on Monday (October 15).