In Feb – March 2006 the youth service undertook a consultation with 180 (7-19yrs) children and young people in Kirkby in Ashfield as part of the Targeted youth support pathfinder, which later became known as Integrated Services for Kirkby.
This consultation highlighted young people’s needs and wants in the area including youth shelters.
“People would not be afraid of us in gangs, we would not be seen in the streets in gangs, because we would be in the youth shelters”
16 year old girl
(ISK project report December 2006:6)
As a result the youth forum were shown the DVD which was produced and through many local forum meetings they decided it might be a good idea to consult further on the value of youth shelters and also working alongside the Ashfield district council they thought they would try to identify what parks and park facilities are most popular with young people.
The results of this identified two parks in the Kirkby area which were valued most by young people and certain designs for teenage play equipment and youth shelter designs were also highlighted.
The results were shared by the forum with A.D.C who incorporated the findings into the Ashfield play strategy 2007 – 2012, a strategy to shape the future of children and young people’s play and adventure across Ashfield.
The Youth workers have worked hard to maintain and develop the group by engaging the young people in other activities such as youth initiative training, inspectors training, A.D.Y.A and C.Y.A meetings, as well as ensuring we keep a fun element to the project by planning residential and other social events.
For the last six months the Youth forum have created a new name for their group which was decided through voting on numerous names they had come up with, so they are now called “The Kirkby Youth In Action Group”, two young people were selected to be runners up in the local rotary club young citizen of the year awards and one came runner up and received £50 which she shard with the other member.
This demonstrated to the group how active citizenship is not only vital in there communities but also recognised and rewarded.
The group wanted to run a day event to raise the profile of their campaign and also bring older and younger generations together and groups from different youth cultures as there is issues around discriminatory attitudes amongst young people in the area based on different tastes in music and fashion, and the young people wanted to provide a day which offered various activities that all could enjoy.
They researched costs of activities, publicity ect and applied to the youth opps fund and were successful in gaining just over £2000 to fund the day and a quarterly newsletter in which to engage more young people and provide info of interest to them.
The planning for the day took almost 6 months in total, whilst also finding time to attend a few social events.
The day Event “ Evolution in motion” Logo voting now the group have a logo which was chosen by wider groups of young people Kirkby, Consultation activities, gained a new member etc (You Know about this)
Other forms of engagement
Three weeks before our planning week all staff are expected to be consulting with their groups around wants and needs, opening times, days the sessions are on, holiday activities. When we have the planning week, two young people from each unit are invited (Voluntary not chosen) to represent their groups and work alongside the staff team in planning the terms programmes and projects.
We have a suggestion box which young people are encouraged to put comments in. then feedback is given.
Acre redecoration project summer 2006
Young people in youth club felt the club looked like too much like a connexions building and not a youth club. Work was done around respect for others, sharing a building and compromise. Young people wanted to decorate the club themselves, so I suggested they might have to gain funds to get the materials and paint etc, and the fact that because it is not only used as a youth club it would be good to consult with other young people who use the centre via Connexions and Sexions.
The group consulted over a week period with all young people who accessed the centre and the colours were chosen as a result, a letter to B & Q was successful and provide us with all we need to do the decorated and ensure H&S, we undertook the project by doing a all night stayawake and paint night which the young people contributed £2.50 each in order to purchase food for the night. All young people gained an Asdan award.
Lesley Froggatt
