Agenda item

Mal Munday - Head of Service: Early Help, Wiltshire Council.

Mal Munday gave a short presentation that outlined implementing a community-led model for youth activities.

Points made included:

·       That Wiltshire Council had adopted a community-led model for the provision of positive activities for young people. By delegating responsibility and resources to Community Area Boards for youth activities, the council was committed to supporting young people and their communities to come together to develop a responsive and locally driven positive activities offer for young people. This means the positive activities offer would develop differently in each of the 18 Community Area Board areas to reflect local needs.

·       Local Youth Network (LYN) would be set up as a sub group of the Community Area Board. It would represent a wide range of community stakeholders who would work in partnership to facilitate a range of positive activities across the community area. Young people play a central role in all aspects of the LYN.

·       Local Youth Networks would identify local needs, priorities and outcomes and make recommendations to the Area Board on how funding for positive activities for young people should be deployed.

·       The need to work with the Youth Advisory Group (YAG) if it was agreed that the YAG should continue alongside the LYN.

·       That a Community Youth Officer role had been created, the Community Youth Officer would work with the young people and the Area Board to deliver the community-led model for the provision of positive activities for young people in Bradford on Avon.

Questions raised included:

·       Where would the Community Youth Officer be based in Bradford on Avon?

a.This was currently being looked at. It was hoped that somewhere in Bradford on Avon could be found, or working from the Trowbridge hub.

·       Was the Area Board consulted on the proposals for a community-led model for the provision of positive activities for young people?

a.Yes, the Area Board was consulted, as they would need to be involved along with the young people to shape the way forward.

·       Why can’t the Community Youth Officer be based at the Bradford on Avon youth development centre building whilst its still open?

a.     It could be done, in the short term.

·       People in Bradford on Avon are confused as to whether the youth development centre building is still open. Could the YAG organise an open day to highlight its potential usage to the community?

a.Yes, you’re welcome to do this.

Points made included:

·       That Bradford on Avon should try and gain ownership of the youth development centre building, and that it remains an asset to the local community and its community groups.

·       That the Area Board would support an open day at the youth development centre building.

·       That the local schools had concerns re the closure of the youth development centre building and local youth services being delivered from it.

·       That Wiltshire Council could have planned this whole closure much better, with more thought given to the youth and community groups.

·       That the Town Council needs to put a business plan together to identify the users of the youth development centre building and to encourage more users of the building.

·       That Bradford on Avon needs goodwill and ambition to achieve a workable solution to this issue.

Decision

·       That the Bradford on Avon Area Board adopt the Leaders Guidance for Positive Activities and Terms of Reference for Local Youth Networks (LYNs) and commence work on establishing a LYN, with a view to calling the inaugural meeting during October 2014 so that recommendations for action can be made to the next Area Board meeting on 12 November.

·       That the Community Area Manager, in consultation with the Community Youth Officer and Chairman of Bradford on Avon Area Board, may authorise expenditure in support of positive activities for young people of up to £1,000 per project between Area Board meetings and that this would be recorded at the next available Area Board meeting.

The Chairman thanked Mal Munday for attending the meeting and the YAG members for their input.