Youth Club and Youth Provisions

Views from young people and adults from Icklesham Parish Communities

Findings from a participatory appraisal consultation event carried out by Hastings Trust and Youth in Motion with support from Icklesham Parish Council Winchelsea Beach Community Hall Friday 9th November 2012

Background
Councillor Sue Lyward approached Flora Williams from the Neighbourhood Enablers (NE) project with the idea of setting up a group to help deliver a youth provision/club in Winchelsea Beach. Initial discussions identified the need and desire to engage with the young people of Icklesham Parish, to ask them their ideas on the subject of setting up a new youth club in the parish. Sue and other volunteers from the Winchelsea Beach community are interested in helping to set up and run a new youth club/provision, so it was proposed that it would be sited in this locality. Flora approached Youth in Motion (YIM), a not for profit organisation that specialises in youth and community work across the south east of England, to help assist in the process of engaging with the young people of Icklesham Parish. A consultation exercise was planned by Flora with help from YIM and Icklesham Parish Council (IPC) where the young people from the parish would have the opportunity to get across their ideas, suggestions and any issues or concerns they may have on the subject of a new youth club/provision. Flora proposed that a Participatory Appraisal process be used to collect and collate the information.

Executive Summary
Main findings from the participatory research carried out by Neighbourhood Enablers team
Everybody agreed there was a definite need for a youth club in the Parish. Everybody was advised at the beginning of the evening that Winchelsea Beach had already been identified as the location for the first youth Club due to Volunteer interest within the Community. All the young people discussed extensively their ideas for setting up a youth club, including discussions on Resources, Costs, and Communications. All those attending from Icklesham expressed a need for transport to and from the youth club. If this service was made available all the young people from Icklesham said they would be more than happy to use the community transport service. A vast majority of the young people said they were interested in volunteering to help set up and run the youth club. It was very apparent that all the young people wanted to be involved in the decision making process. Facebook was identified by all the young people as the most preferred method of communication. The Neighbourhood Enablers team have informed everybody who attended the evening that a summary of the evening and its findings will be posted on the NE facebook page.

Comments
Neighbourhood Enablers will be working with community volunteers to put together a project proposal and access start-up funds. IPC will be approached for funding to cover training / supporting and mentoring local volunteers over a one year period. YIM have already prepared a business plan to outline the costs for providing the training and mentoring volunteer service. Throughout the evening several adults showed an interest in volunteering at a youth provision in Winchelsea beach and one volunteer came forward from Icklesham.

The Consultation
Main objectives of the Evening
To collate information from young people on the subject of setting up a youth provision in the Parish of Icklesham, with the initial proposed venue being Winchelsea Beach Community Hall. To engage with volunteers from the parish communities who will then be supported by the Neighbourhood Enablers project and Youth in Motion. All the young people to participate in the PA exercise and any willing adults to also take part and make comments and suggestions. The main five subjects discussed in the World Cafe; Resources, Cost, Communication, Access and Help, provided a framework that allowed detailed discussions around the possibilities of setting up a youth club, and ideas around what was needed.

Attendees
5 young people from Winchelsea beach 12 Young people from Icklesham (4 girls and 8 boys) 11 adults in total - 3 from Icklesham,1 from Rye Harbour,3 from Winchelsea Beach, 1 from Hastings, 2 members of IPC (Icklesham parish council) and the local PCSO.

World Cafe Tables;

Resources

Resource/activities requested for the youth club

Sports events/competitions Table tennis Film night Friday night disco Indoor gaming Table football Days out Pool table Private chill out room Skate Park Paintballing

How realistic ?
If the council funded/built the facility Very, we already have a large hall easy because there is storage Very, we already have a large hall Very, we already have a large hall Fairly Realistic after saving up Ask council to build an extra room for us Very important & very realistic -

Additional Comments: Can have different specialist nights including girls sessions, pool tournaments and film nights. Skate-park was the most popular request, especially amongst the boys and across both Icklesham & Winchelsea Beach. There was talk about having a community bus service from Icklesham/WB to the Rye skate-park. Space in the community for young people to hang out. General interests sport, disco, indoor gaming, film nights. Within a youth club setting specifically pool, table tennis & table football & Wii gaming were requested. Have inter-village competitions, football 5 a-side, possibly also gaming nights including Wii Fit competitions. There was a lot of interest in days out and trips etc.; almost all the young people indicated an interest in paintballing. All the young people were happy to share their views but felt they would be given what the council wanted and not what they wanted. They have been asked in the past what they want, but they dont feel that anybody has taken notice of their opinions, and adults make the decisions irrespective of what the young have said. There are views that parish councils are opposed facilities for young people (adult comment).

Need a youth club that is led by the young people where the kids make the decisions (adult comment). Volunteers would be more forthcoming if they were offered support and training (adult comment).

Cost /Entry fee

Why do we need to charge?

So we can keep doing the youth club Help to pay for food To appreciate it For better things in the youth club So we can buy more stuff So we can hire out services for the youth club Pay on a membership basis Have a tuck shop

What are the benefits?

More money to spend on equipment People come out more Pay for pool table Tuck money Be able to invest for future needs or wants Stuff being looked after Young enterprise scheme (adult)

Additional comments: Make a charge for the pool table & table tennis Everyone seemed to agree there should be an entrance charge and estimates varied between 0.50p and 3 per session. There were lots of ideas around saving up for days out. Some of the fundraising money could go towards paying for skate-parks and/or football areas, mini bus money and tuck shop.The need for another skate park came up repeatedly. Fundraising Ideas: Cake sale Boot fair Sponsored run Sponsored walk/run/swim Talent Show Help OAPs with shopping Raffle Tombola Bag packing at supermarket Sponsoring activities Throw eggs at people Quiz nights Bingo nights Stocks Poppy collecting Table/cake sales etc Sponsored skate/scoot Charging the council for a 2 mile beach clean up Walking peoples dogs Car washing Tuck shop Film night Charity fun day 7

Some innovative ideas came out of this exercise, including the suggestion of bag packing at the local supermarket. Another important finding was that all fundraising ideas suggested by the young people were ones that they themselves could do, as opposed to other people or their peers. This exercise also clearly illustrates how they are already aware of the need for further fundraising activities after the club is open, and how willing and committed they all are to participating and leading extra fundraising projects.

Communication

What is the best form of communication for young people?

Facebook Twitter E-mail Face to face Local shop

Why/comments
Because Im on it all the time, because we all have phones, easier to understand Attention grabbing, able to ask if theres something you dont understand Visited often, one local shop in Icklesham, everyone uses it, flyers & leaflets displayed at shop, then word of mouth gets information round the community Face to face, can talk to them, if held on a regular basis, got skatepark following meeting face to face meetings with the council, they thought that if they continued with meetings they could get more See Local shop Used to pass on information throughout the community, all have phones

More meetings

Flyers/leaflets Text messages Video to advertise the youth fun ideas

Adult comment: Smartphone Apps & Interactive message board Additional Comments: Every young person agreed that communication through facebook was one of the best ways of communicating, as they all had it and all look and read new/events etc. every day..."Facebook is cool, so if something is on it we are more likely to pay attention to it, but newsletters aren't cool". The young people thought that meetings/consultations with councillors was a really effective way of communicating; they have had meetings/consultation with councillors in the past and told them what they felt they needed and wanted in their area, resulting in them receiving a park, rope swings, skate park and basketball court. Their only criticism on this form of communication was that even though it had worked (skate park), it was taken away from them not long after because the councillors said they didn't use it enough, which in the young people's opinions was incorrect. So their idea would be for them and the councillors to have regular meetings/consultations so they can share their opinions and thoughts on a regular basis. Many of the young people thought that advertising/ putting flyers and leaflets in local shops in the areas was another effective way of communicating with them as they all use the local shops on a daily basis, before and after school.

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Access - Preferred time and day and transport needs Winchelsea Beach Times: 7pm-9pm Days: Friday or Saturday Transport: Not required as youth club will be sited in Winchelsea Beach Icklesham Times: 5:30pm 7:30pm was most popular; other suggestions were 6:30pm 8:30pm & 8pm-9pm Days: Friday was most popular, other suggestions were mainly weekends, or any day after school, except Wednesdays. Transport: Everyone from Icklesham required transport to the youth club assuming it was initially based in Winchelsea Beach. The majority of young people said they were happy to use community transport to get to a youth club if it wasnt located in their locality. Additional comments: Majority of young people indicated they were happy to help out at the youth club, particularly joining a youth council and in helping to set up talent shows. Majority of young people would like to see a skate-park similar to the one at Peasmarsh.

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Help - Timeline The following is a list topics that the young people identified as needing to be discussed, decided, and planned prior to the opening of a new youth club:

Group 1
Skate-park Decorations Facilities Fundraising activities Entrance fee Play Doh Badges Put it in Icklesham Advertising Tuck Shop Minibus Skate-park

Group 2
Staff , adult or teens Activities Space/venue Facilities, pool, table tennis etc Table Tennis, easy storage Needs planning more Wifi Limited number of people 5-20 Fundraising Fri/Sat 7-9 Food & drink Memberships, no holidaymakers 1-2 entrance fee How many kids can come Workers, who will be working here Open day

Group 3
Advertisement Transport Set a date & time Flyers to kids Staff Money Organising Teams Fundraising for days out Monthly/weekly membership 1-3 Leadership Helpers/volunteers Sponsors/fundraising Help out Open day Food or not

Group 4
What day Pay for trips & maybe transport Time Entrance fee Transport Staff, volunteers Logo sweatshirt Crafts & Arts Music Tuck Pay to get in Design a name & logo Fundraising Rotas for games Friday night disco

Additional comments: Every group said they were interested in volunteering and helping to set-up and run the youth club. Every group said they were happy to use community transport to go to a youth club if it wasnt based in their community.

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Testimonials
"It was great to see so many of our young people so enthusiastically engaged in expressing what facilities they wanted, how they would get there, how this should be run & how it should be paid for. I congratulate all involved in setting up & running this event and for the young people & adults who took part."

Councillor Sue Lyward has had a vision for some time to create better facilities for young people in the Parish of Icklesham. At her instigation the Parish council has worked with Neighbourhood Enablers and Youth in Motion to consult young people and find out what they would like. Flora Williams from Neighbourhood Enablers and James Brill from Youth in Motion organised with Sue Lyward and Steve Foreman the consultation event on Friday 9 th November 2012. Staff from both organisations met young people and adults who may volunteer to help run a youth club. Using Planning for Real type techniques Flora and others encouraged people to fully express their views. This has resulted in a clear picture of what those young people in the villages of Icklesham would like the Parish Council to do. The Parish Council is now in a much stronger position to provide the services that young people want and will value.

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