Agenda item

To receive a presentation from Abby Roper, Development Manager, Vision for Youth Yateley, about their Youth Engagement work.

 

This will be followed by a presentation from Emma Lamb, Community and Partnerships Service Manager, which will review the current provision for young people in Rushmoor and outline draft proposals for the approach to future engagement.

 

Following the presentation, a workshop (not part of the public meeting) will take place with Members. The session will be facilitated by Emma Lamb and Lynette Lawson-Tyers, Community Engagement Officer. The purpose of the workshop is to discuss proposals and seek Members’ opinions and suggestions to help shape a future draft Young People Engagement Strategy.

The Board welcomed Ms Abby Roper from Vision4Youth (V4Y), who provided a presentation on work undertaken in relation to youth engagement in Yateley and Ms Emma Lamb, the Council’s Community and Partnerships Service Manager, who outlined the current provision in Rushmoor. Also present was Cllr Sophie Porter, Community & Residents Portfolio Holder, who had been invited to attend for this item and for the workshop that followed.

 

The Board was advised that V4Y had been a youth club provider for over twenty years, providing facilities to young people aged 11 – 25 years. The Yateley Friday Night Club had been established in 2015 with support from Yateley Town Council. In 2018, the Town Council had allowed the club to start meeting, rent-free, in The Tythings and this had provided the opportunity for the club to expand. The expansion of the club had required V4Y to seek more volunteers and this proved to be a challenging process. It was reported that V4Y currently operated six different youth clubs during term time across two venues in Yateley and Darby Green, with around 160 young people accessing these groups. In addition to the club nights, V4Y also supported qualified youth workers who walked the local streets once or twice a week, visiting hot spots and building relationships with young people. This work involved close liaison with the police. Members were informed that, over the summer holidays, V4Y would run a Summer Holiday Youth Club as part of the Department for Education’s ‘Holiday Activities & Food’ programme. This was aimed at young people aged 11 – 16 years and was free to those who qualified for Free School Meals. Finally, V4Y offered 1:1 support for young people with Youth Social Prescribing, which was aimed at providing early intervention in cases of social isolation, irrespective of the originating cause.

 

Ms Lamb went on to describe the current provision for young people in Rushmoor.  This included:

 

·                    Rushmoor Youth Influence – a forum for young people to hear from experts and to share opinions on key issues, supported by Rushmoor schools and Army Welfare Service

 

·                    Prospect Youth Club – currently providing some mental health support services

 

·                    Youth Café – set up in response to feedback from residents, businesses and partners, currently led by a local ward councillor, partnership between Council, Step by Step and Hampshire Cultural Trust

 

·                    Detached Youth Work – Safer Street 5 Fund for detached youth work provision in ASB hotspots, currently ongoing

 

·                    Yellow Brick Road project - £34,000 for one year project to support 25 11-17 year-olds at risk of exploitation, twelve sessions with a mentor with follow-up support

 

Members were informed that a number of gaps and barriers had been identified and these had been used to shape the objectives and approach being adopted in terms of  youth provision in Rushmoor. The focused approach would involve both outreach and also work with local schools. It was identified that an important part of the approach was in relation to communications, where, amongst other approaches, the Council would use its own social media channels. The workshop that was to follow the meeting would consider how to support and encourage local young people. During August, the feedback from this session and from Rushmoor Youth Influence would be collated and, in September, the Board would receive further report outlining proposals for a future Youth Engagement Strategy. Ms Lamb ran through a list of draft proposals being considered, including:

 

·                     Programme of support to secondary schools by holding three open days a year. Activities include council chambers, mayor and office, budgeting tool, design your own park

 

·                     Work with Junior Leadership Teams in schools

 

·                     Young People Led Forums – supported by RBC

 

·                     Young apprentice to work across departments focusing on work relating to their peer groups

 

·                     HCC NEETS Boost program (ran at Basingstoke Council)

 

·                     Engage young people in our surveys and social media using platforms they use

 

·                     Work with Springpod to provide a virtual work experience programme

 

·                     Offer good quality work experience places

 

·                     Support partners to deliver services that are appropriate to young people in each area

 

·                     Work with young people and partners to find effective solutions to address ASB and crime prevention

 

·                     Ensure we are inclusive and accessible to everyone

 

·                     Continue Youth Café & Youth Club

 

The Board discussed the presentations and made the following comments:

 

·                    Important to consider how to target those not in education

 

·                    Contacts in schools help to improve attendance at events

 

·                    In relation to a question about the demographic of volunteers – explained normally ladies whose children had grown up but a broad spectrum

 

·                    V4Y offer ‘young leader’ positions for maturing young people

 

·                    V4Y changed into a registered charity as it expanded as this removed financially liability from the previous trustees and provided better opportunities for applying for grant-funding

 

·                    Important to have clearly defined aims for the Council’s activities

 

·                    Whilst V4Y did not consult directly with young people when it was starting up, the views of the community were definitely considered

 

The Board ENDORSED the process set out in the presentation and looked forward to further involvement in this area.

 

The Chairman thanked Ms Roper and Ms Lamb for their presentations.