The forthcoming summer school holidays provide an excellent opportunity to launch the new Safer Streets Youth Action Project (SSYAP). Since the Project began in April, we have been supporting the Friday night Twilight Sports Programme which has had a fantastic series of sessions at Easter Carmuirs park and in the last couple of weeks has moved to Nailer Road Park. This open approach to providing young people with sports activities in public parks will be extended over the summer holidays with additional Monday afternoon sessions taking place in 4 local parks. The Project is fortunate in having recently employed our new Youth Outreach Worker Rachael Hardy who joined the team in early May, and she has been settling into her new role and enjoying the opportunity to meet some local young people, community volunteers and the partners we will be working with over the next three years. Here is Rachael helping put on a Climate Action Plan litter pick.
The Summer Programme 2023 has a community safety and youth action theme, and this will be reflected in an exciting programme of outdoor learning, activity-based opportunities, bike maintenance and a community arts project. We will provide an additional opportunity for local young people to use these experiences to gain nationally recognised accreditations like the Saltire volunteering award, and the High 5 and Dynamic Youth Awards. The Summer Programme has been funded by Falkirk Council School Holiday fund and will involve a range of delivery partners, including: The Falkirk Wheelers, Well Wild, Scottish Canals, Camelon Sports Hub, Forth Environment Link and will also be connected to local community groups and organisations. The Community arts project will be led by an experienced community artist, and this will involve young people exploring their community for its positive assets and potential improvements along with peer consultation events. We are using this summer engagement to get to know the young people better, build good positive relationships with them and most importantly listen to their views, opinions and aspirations about their community. The full programme is below and many of the activities and projects have limited places so pre booking is essential and we will be operating a first come first served system, and to book a young person onto these activities please go to this link:
https://tamfourhill-gymnastics-club.class4kids.co.uk/
please also speak to myself if you want to chat about any matters concerning the actual programme; john@ttrohub.co.uk
The Open Doors Safer Streets event is taking place on Friday 23rd June form 11am-2pm in the Forth Valley Sensory Centre and the theme is tackling poverty and especially within the context of the current cost of living crises. The Councils Debt Advice Team will be present who can help you to manage your money and if you are worried about debt or are struggling to manage your money, they can help. The Debt Advice Team can give you help and advice on all types of debt including rent and mortgage arrears, council tax, personal loans, hire purchase agreements, credit cards, store cards, payday loans, catalogues and fuel bills. They will attend this Event, and they will provide free advice which is confidential and impartial and is available to anyone who lives or works in the Falkirk Council area. There will also be welfare advice available and that will include support with issues of claiming the right benefits, and they can provide support with getting you relevant training and potential employment. The other partners at the event will include Community Police, Fire and Rescue Service, Forth Valley Recovery Community, Transform drugs agency, The Sensory Centre, Forth environment Link with Dr Bike, Falkirk Council and providing confidential advice and support will be the Central Scotland Regional Equality Council. It will also be a great opportunity for our new Youth Action Project to be introduced to this wide array of organisations and services and to highlight the summer school holiday programme, so please pop in for a visit and hear what’s happening locally and perhaps make some suggestions which can contribute positively to improved community involvement and action.
An important aspect of the local community safety strategy was the production of a Community Climate Action Plan and I have continued to support and develop this area of work. The Core Group who steers the Plan forward met recently and it was great to hear how much work is going on locally to combat climate change and support environmental improvements and our contribution to Net Zero. I have been working with the Tamfourhill Community Hub committee to look at retrofitting the building with improved energy efficiency technology. We are currently examining funding options through the Scottish Government’s Community Renewables Energy Scheme or for short the CARES programme in order to install heat pumps, solar panels and a new heating system which would create a sustainable net zero community hub, so watch this space over the next year. The Climate action plan also facilitates fun activities, and it was an enjoyable day back in May when we supported a group of Community Champions from Falkirk High School take part in a canal clear up and Action for Net Zero workshop. The young people from Falkirk High School with the support of their teacher are very active and vocal members of the Climate Action Plan Core Group and now with our local youth project fully active we will look to build and expand local young people’s role within the Core Group and with Net Zero and climate change activities around Camelon and Tamfourhill.
Safer Communities Youth Action Project 