£200,000 funding for Telford youth clubs
Youngsters in Telford are set to be given more youth club sessions after more than £200,000 of funding was agreed.
Telford & Wrekin Council is working with parish councils and youth services to deliver the sessions in Brookside.
The proposal is for at least two new universal youth club sessions per week to be delivered and includes employment of a part time professional youth worker who will deliver the sessions for young people age 14 and over.
The council is working with Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council, Shropshire Youth Association, Brookside Big Local, Brookside Central CIO and Recharge to provide the added sessions.
The funding will stretch over six years and will total more than £200,000, with Stirchley and Brookside Parish Council providing £93,999, 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 employed youth worker will also coordinate and develop youth provision including Funzone, support volunteers and support the development of Brookside Big Local.
There will also be football sessions delivered by Recharge in Brookside's Redgra play area.
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 behaviour, it is important that we work together to build a robust youth services programme that is able to support and guide young adults effectively.”
