Integrated Youth Support Project
The Jarrow Neighbourhood Management Partnership was established in April 2006 with neighbourhood element funding with an interim board. The manager started in November 2006 followed by 3 other team members. Following successful community elections in March 2007 and commitment from service providers, the board now meet monthly to make decisions.
One such decision was to approve service improvement funding for Integrated Youth Support. This is a partnership with the Youth Service, Youth Offending Service, Adult & Community Learning, Connexions, Extended Schools, Play Development, Sport Development and key voluntary sector providers. This approach focuses on:
- Places to go, things to do, someone to talk to
- Active participation
- Tackling anti-social behaviour and youth disorder
- Education, training and employment
The Integrated Youth Support service improvement also addresses cross cutting targets related to teenage conceptions, educational attainment and emotional health and wellbeing of young people by offering a choice of good quality universal and targeted youth provision. This partnership approach has progressed very well and the young people engaged in the activities are experiencing real and exciting opportunities that may have not otherwise been available to them.
The improvements offer a mix of services to the area's young people including Detached Youth Work sessions working with and for young people directly on the local streets, centre based youth work activity sessions that include boxer fit, fund raising, healthy eating and lifestyles, football, woodwork and accredited learning opportunities through the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.
In addition, the Youth Inclusion Programme, YMCA Detached Project, Youth Service and the Drug Action Team are further developing this partnership work and are making a real impact in engaging hard to reach young people in the Jarrow area. Funding from Crime Concern of £85k will also contribute to the work.
The commitment of the Jarrow Neighbourhood Management Partnership, the staff involved in the delivery of the programme through the various partner agencies and the local community is a credit to the spirit of the people of Jarrow in their support to children and young people.
