The Mirrors Programme, widely praised for helping young people to turn their lives around, will have its budget cut by $870,000 or 34 percent.The cut was one of many infleicted on the Ministry of Youth, Families, Sports and Community Development, which was hard hit by budget cuts announced yesterday.Along with cuts to financial assistance and the day care allowance, Minister Glenn Blakeney announced Mirrors would hold only one residential training session in the coming year.The programme, intended to help at-risk young people turn their lives around, has had around 60 people enrolled in the six-day residential training sessions for the last two years.Most took part in a co-ed programme geared for 15 to 18-year-olds. Around one-third of participants were enrolled in the now-cancelled sessions for young men aged 18 to 24.Explaining the decision, Mr Blakeney said: “It costs a lot to feed and house everyone, and we decided that, for this financial year, it wasn’t cost effective.”Asked if the remaining session would host a larger number of young people as a result of the cuts, Mr Blakeney responded: “There is a great possibility. You have to keep in mind that it is not a mandatory programme, it’s voluntary.”BDA MP Donte Hunt last night expressed hope that Mirrors, over time, might become privatised to help reduce the cost of the programme.“The programme has always been bittersweet,” Mr Hunt said. “Sweet because it’s a programme for young people, and starts them on the right track. Bitter because of the cost that Government has to spend to run the programme.“Government are not the best operators for programmes such as Mirrors. It’s really best left for the private sector. I think that is the direction Mirrors should go in. It just makes sense, to have the programme go to the private sector and have Government give a grant.“I honestly think it’s a great programme. I think the issue is that they don’t have enough post-care support where they bring them in and give them encouragement.”Useful websites:www.gov.bm, www.plp.bm, www.thealliance.bm