The Warren Youth Club project
The Pitch
Problem statement
The Warren is the only youth facility in Hatch Warren, Beggarwood and Brighton Hill and the experienced team engage with 70 + young people every Friday and 600+ during the 6-week summer project. The community can benefit from the reduction in antisocial behaviour that follows. We feel our young people need a safe, secure environment, which also enables them to be off the street away from substances and crime involvement. Through wellbeing sessions, we support mental health on issues such as anxiety, anti-bullying and healthy relationships. We aim to raise their self-esteem and equip them with coping strategies and youth empowerment forming positive relationships with the local neighbourhood
Solution
The project will host 50 free sessions annually offering craft, sport and complimentary hot food, so fully inclusive for everyone. Activities will include manhunt, team games, crafting and artistic opportunities with Xbox and table tennis. The youth team prepare hot food, and this is devoured by the young people as many enjoy free school meals. Funding will support staff costs, sports facilitators & crafts resources and ingredients. The aim of the Warren is to boost positive attitudes and independence, reduce social isolation, increase the leadership opportunities and educate young people at an early age to empower them to choose not to become involved in antisocial behaviour (ASB)
Why are we best placed to deliver?
The Warren is an established self-contained youth facility, with a track record of delivering valuable services & reducing ASB, litter and vandalism in the community, since 2009. The relationship the youth workers have with Community Safety team, encourage the young people to approach and engage with police. They offer information around the consequences of ASB, carrying knives, and grooming leading to involvement of County Lines drug dealing. Staff are qualified in mental health first aid, to support the wellbeing needs of young people, boosting confidence levels, improving awareness of what everyone can achieve to develop them into becoming well-rounded and actively responsible members of
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Warren project staffing costs -3 paid staff working 4 hours at £18 per hour (including pension NI and NLW increase) = £216 per session x 12 sessions( £2592) | £2,592 |
| Room Hire of Warren Youth Club over five hours x 12 sessions at £20 per hour to cover utilities, insurance, phone and lighting and management EO grant funding | £1,200 |
| hot food, drink and fresh fruit meal over a 12 weeksx £70 per session = £840 This will enable families to save money on their food costs and their own heating rates for several hours a week. | £840 |
| staff Administration hours for shopping for food resources and preparing menu- allowed 1 hour x 12 sessions at a rate of £18 per hour | £216 |
| Craft resources for 12 weeks | £147 |
Beneficiaries
650 people
Who will benefit
Expected impact
Due to positive feedback from parental surveys and oversubscribed sessions, we confirm the Warren is a valuable resource, offering free hot food to supporting vulnerable families The aim is to deliver guidance in a child friendly way, to engage young people and make them aware of the dangers of vaping ,county lines, knife crime and negative associations leading to dealings with the police, therefore reducing the occurrence of crime in our community. Through wellbeing sessions the young people are becoming kinder and more tolerant and knowledgeable of needs of peers, especially those with learning disabilities, such as ADHD, anxiety and autism where they cannot cope with daily challenges. Parents benefited after bullying awareness session cyber bullying law, real life experiences were shared to highlight the dangers of online threats and mean, aggressive, or rude texts, tweets. Ten young people engaged in volunteering opportunities to raise funds for The Warren
Track record
Warren staff aim to improve community connectivity through youth-led activities, where young people deliver events promoting social cohesion. They volunteer at community events and communicate with older people, Local Councillors, and MPs. Through partner links with the local GPs, council and headteachers, we empower community services to identify any issues suffered by the young people or residents local to the Warren, ensuring the community is happy. Hampshire police including the designated Willow Team are supporting the knife crime awareness campaign. Parent Testimonials: "We love the Warren as it gives our daughter who is a young carer, the chance to be herself. We appreciate the time and effort spent in planning informative sessions. My child has made new friends, from new schools"