Fantastic news for the YMCA, we have been awarded funding from the Big Lottery Reaching Communities Fund to create a new outreach programme called Y:Youth.
We will receive a total of £248,126 over 3 years to develop the project which is aimed at improving the physical, emotional and social well-being of children and young people living in identified communities in the Lancaster district.
The Y:Youth project team will work closely with partner organisations to deliver a tailored, creative programme of outreach activities including sport, physical activity, creative arts, media and music. In addition the team will provide information, advice and signposting to help address specific youth issues for example, personal safety, sexual exploitation, substance misuse and the impact of anti-social behaviour and crime.
‘We’re really excited about getting this community based project off the ground’ said Nik Marsdin, Senior Manager for Young People work at the YMCA. ‘This is not just about tackling anti-social behaviour, it is much more about investing in children and young people and providing them with positive alternatives that will enhance their team working, communication and problem solving skills. A key part of the project is to identify through outreach activities children and young people who are not in education or employment (NEET) and provide them with opportunities for accreditation, additional coaching and support, as well as signposting them to existing employability projects.’
Recruitment for the Y:Youth team will take place over the coming months and will include a full time Y:Youth Co-ordinator plus a team of part-time evening Y:Youth Outreach Workers. We will also be recruiting local community volunteers to work with us throughout the project and will provide a programme of training and support for this role.
If you would like more information then please contact Nik Marsdin on 01524 32737 or alternatively email him at nik.marsdin@fyldecoastymca.org