Partnership to deliver additional youth services in Brookside
Telford & Wrekin Council, working in partnership with Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council, has enabled six different organisations to come together to provide additional youth services for the local community in Brookside.
Organisations working together include Telford & Wrekin Council, Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council, Shropshire Youth Association (SYA), Brookside Big Local, Brookside Central CIO and Recharge.
The proposal is for at least two new universal youth club sessions a week to be delivered in Brookside. It includes employment of a part time professional youth worker by SYA who will deliver the sessions for young people aged 14 plus.
The worker will also co-ordinate and develop youth provision including Funzone, support volunteers and support the development of Brookside Big Local.
There will also be football sessions delivered in Recharge in Brookside’s Redgra play area.
The total funding over six years to pay for the additional provision is slightly over £200,000 with Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council providing £93,000, Telford & Wrekin Council providing a £54,000 partnership grant, Big Local providing £25,000 grant funding and Brookside Central CIO providing premises to the value of £29,960.
The partnership is continuing to seek grant funding to support additional youth activities such as those delivered by Active Outreach Services through external funders and borough councillors.
Councillor Rae Evans, Telford & Wrekin Council’s cabinet member for Partnerships, said: “This is a great example of how we are working in partnership with the community to ensure services we can no longer afford to provide are protected.
“This proposal will increase volunteering opportunities as well as delivering a much needed additional youth service in Brookside.”
Councillor Jackie Loveridge, chairman of Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council, said: “We are looking forward to working with all our partners to extend our existing youth service and create a new and exciting service for young people in the parish.”
Shana Roberts, of Brookside Big Local, said: “With a high population of young people in our borough and a growing number of concerns about anti-social behavior, it is important that we work together to build a robust youth services programme that is able to support and guide young adults effectively.”
CAPTION: Councillor Rae Evans, cabinet member for Partnerships, with representatives of Stirchley & Brookside Parish Council, Brookside Big Local, Shropshire Youth Association, Brookside CIO and Recharge.
