A group of West Cumbrian youngsters have spoken out about their need for a safe place to socialise.
The group of young people – who are members of South Whitehaven Youth Partnership’s Senior Youth Club – presented their ideas for a community safe space to a panel of local leaders and influencers at Mirehouse Community Centre.
Youth club members described how the safe places they used to go have all been demolished and that they now have nowhere to meet.
They added that they felt as though they had lost their social lives and expressed wishes for somewhere safe that they could socialise and have fun.
The need for a safe place was identified by the young people while they were taking part in the Centre for Leadership’s Leading Change programme.
Funded by Cumbria Community Foundation’s #CanDo and Transforming West Cumbria’s programme, the scheme is designed to support young people to take the lead on encouraging change in their communities.
The youth club members carried out research with their peers and attended twice weekly sessions to present their findings to the panel.
Panellists included Emma Williamson, social inclusion and community resilience team leader at Copeland Borough Council; Garry McKeating, head of community and development at Sellafield Ltd, David Beeby, chairman of the Cumbria Community Foundation and recent High Sheriff and Rhianna Smith, early careers, project co-ordinator for CforLP and chair of BECBC Shadow Board.
Key points in their campaign included the importance of a multifunctional space suitable for all ages and the youngsters also covered needs for sheltered spaces and security such as CCTV or wardens.
Martin Ashbridge, who worked with the youngsters on the Leading Change programme said: “The young people at Mirehouse Community Centre were feeling forgotten and unimportant as every space for them to meet and socialise was gone.
“The Leading Change Programme allowed me to support the group to survey local people, gather opinions of what the young people needed locally, and to present their findings to key leaders including Sellafield and Well Whitehaven.
“The presentation was excellent, the ideas and needs were recognised and well received. This has led to more work with the team to try and bring their dreams alive. It is a pleasure to work with the young people and help make their opinions matter.”
Martin is set to continue work with the young people next month and several members of the group have applied for the Positive Enterprise Programme where they could win £1,000 to start up their own business.
