Looking at rural transport in Goole & Howdenshire

I have long been a supporter of the Goole GoFar project and its predecessor the FLEDGLING project which was based in Howdenshire. The issue of youth provision was raised by Bubwith, Eastrington and Gilberdyke Parish Councils at the recent Community Partnership meeting, where it was confirmed that all three villages had comparable issues, and shared similar feelings about the constraints due to lack of rural transport, something evident across the whole Goole and Howdenshire area including the towns of Snaith and Howden.

The issue of rural transport has been raised with both Andrew Percy the MP for Brigg and Goole and myself as a Howdenshire ERYC Councillor and Chair of the Goole and Howden Community Partnership.

A conversation around youth activities as well as activities for the elderly in rural communities resulted in Andrew and I meeting with the Goole GoFar Chairman Martin Crossland and Development Officer Christine Dales (pictured above). We discussed some of their ideas and plans for the future, and how by working together and with the ERYC and Parish Councils rural transport projects for both young and old could be developed and expanded. This could include bussing people into Goole to utilise the facilities available at for example the Leisure Centre, the Hinge or the Junction”.

Andrew Percy added, “I also wanted to ask them about a possible project for the Snaith area to run in the summer when school kids are on holiday. For a couple of years local kids have said they would like to be able to get to Xscape in Castleford during the summer”.

I am very much aware that Andrew Percy and local ward Councillors Cllrs John Barrett and Caroline Fox have had meetings with Stagecoach to see if their Hull-Leeds service could be diverted. Sadly, because of timings, this was not possible. It would therefore be great if there were other opportunities we could look at for running a project in the Snaith area over summer, even if only for a couple of trips.

Representatives and young people from Bubwith, Eastrington and Gilberdyke then gathered for a brain storming meeting in Eastrington, the findings from which will be fed back to the next meeting of the Community Partnership to be on Wednesday 18th April at 10am in Goole College, Boothferry Road, Goole.

Both Andrew Percy and I left the meeting with Martin and Christine from the GoFar feeling very positive, it was reassuring that we are all looking to work together, and with other ERYC Councillors and Parish and Town Councils to address issues of rural transport in our areas”.

Andrew concluded by saying, “Goole GoFar do a great job locally and it was great to meet with them to discuss local services. I wanted to ask them about a possible project for the Snaith area. They have said they will look at the cost of this so that I can pursue it further. It may come to nothing but at least we are looking into it”.

East Riding Youth Assembly's Big deb8

I was fortunate to be able to spend some time watching the East Riding of Yorkshire Youth Assembly on their ‘Big deb8’ day as part of the national 11 Million day. This all took place in the Council Chamber, and along with the dozen or so Councillors who turned up to watch – was made to sit upstairs in the public gallery!!

I have been involved with and a great supporter of the East Riding Youth Assembly since becoming elected, and have previously been part of the 11 million day including being on a mock picket line outside County Hall at one point.

I sat through the debates on transport, young carers, and raising the school leaving age to 18. Each was excellent with a great deal of participation from the majority of the Youth Assembly members present, who bar none came across as being confident and able to eloquently put forward their views. In fact there were more contributors then I have ever seen at any Full Council meeting.

Watching the young people in action provided a great reassurance that the future of democracy in the East Riding is in very safe hands, and I hope some of these fantastic young people are elected to the East Riding of Yorkshire Council in the very near future.

Many thanks to Council Youth Officers Jayne Clark and Richard Moulson for organising the event.

Goole College Consultative Forum

I was invited to be part of a new Consultative Forum at Goole College and today we had the first meeting, which turned out to be especially enjoyable and very constructive. The more I see of Goole College - the more I am impressed with what I see, particularly the forward thinking demonstrated by Gary Warke the Deputy Chief Executive and David Caldicott the Centre Manager – the glass is certainly half full when it comes to the future.

This is typified by the relationship the College has developed to deliver the ATA (Automotive Training Arm) for BMW in nearby Thorne. This is a move away from the concept of College education having to be delivered in a College building – I certainly feel education can be delivered in many different ways and not necessarily in a formal educational building or establishment, and if this can be provided effectively and efficiently in partnership with business it is surely one way of delivering the same, or more, for less money.

Great to be part of Goole's ‘U Project’ for young people

It was a pleasure to be part of Goole’s ‘U Project’ put on during the summer holidays by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council Youth Service. Yesterday I was asked to contribute as part of the ‘Professionals Day’ element of the project . The project is aimed at those young people who have yet to make any positive choices regarding their education, employment or training options.

Many thanks to Lesley Kinnes of the ERYC Youth Service for all the organisation.

I was in very good company, with six people from different professions speaking to the young people

Sgt Paul Fearnley (Army) was very inspirational in what he said, including describing what he was like as a 16 year old, and how the army got him on the straight and narrow. He spoke about the army, career opportunities and the job of a soldier.

Helen Kerr (ERYC Countryside Warden) gave a great insight into her role and countryside issues. Great that she lives and does a lot of her work in Howdenshire.

Hannah Marshall (Midwife) kept the young people enthralled in her description of her job, including working 13-hour shifts - sometimes without a break, and the joy of just doing her job.

Nadine Webster (Teaching Assistant) told us about her role at Goole’s Riverside Primary School, and how one-on-one teaching really helped the autistic children she worked with.

Martin Conley (Fireman) gave a fantastic insight into the different roles within the fire service, as well as his story since leaving school, from a motor mechanic, army cadet instructor, youth worker, helicopter crewmember and finally a fire officer.

Neil Asquith (ER Training Services) provided a number of stories about his life since leaving school, and his time in the Police.

I was the last speaker as Local Action Team Chair and a local Councillor. I thought I’d pick up on the music that was used to accompany the slide show presentation of the summer’s activities shown at the beginning of the morning – Don't Stop Believing by Journey.

For 15 minutes we talked about a “small town girl (or boy in my case), Livin' in a lonely world, taking a midnight train goin' anywhere” – I related this to the journey of life after leaving school…. But also a journey I took many years from Goole Railway Station overland by rail to China and Hong Kong…. I did seem to hold their interest – especially when they realised it was my phone’s ringtone!

I think I enjoyed it as much as the kids - please see clip below for a combination of 80's Journey with Steve Perry and 2008 Journey with Arnel Pineda.

Goole High School Question Time is a great success

Last week Goole High School played host to the Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team (LAT) for a one hour ‘Question Time’ event, as part of the ‘One Goole’ week. The format was very similar to the BBC’s Question Time with a panel consisting of Susan Oliver (Humber and Wolds Rural Community Council), Chief Inspector Richard Kirven (Humberside Police), Alan Cunningham (Humberside Fire and Rescue), Alison Michalska (The ERYC Director of Children Family and Adult Services), myself at the LAT Chairman, and with Carolyn Burgess taking the David Dimbleby role as Chairman. The audience consisted of a very good representative cross section of Goole High School students.

It was clear from the off that the students had prepared well, apparently they had brainstormed issues and come up with a large number of very probing questions prior to the event. The questions ranged from youth provision to young people not being comfortable in reporting crime or anti-social adults, from young people hanging around outside Sainsburys to being able to use school playing fields after hours, from concessionary access to Goole Leisure Centre to the provision of sports facilities and equipment, and for young people to feel safe when in the park.

I have spent quite a lot of time talking with young people, and this was a great opportunity to again discuss their issues, but more importantly it was a fantastic chance for the other members of the panel to listen to the voices of Goole’s young people – and to learn about their issues first hand.

Many of the issues raised can be solved, it will take time and it will take some hard work by people and groups working together, barriers will have to be broken down, and people young and old must have a greater understanding of each others tolerances, prejudices and attitudes. The message I tried to put across was that young people must be part of the solution to issues that affect them, and collectively they can have a powerful voice.

The Question Time event is only the beginning, ultimately engaging and helping the young people from not only in Goole and Old Goole, but also Snaith, Howden and the rural villages, to feel valued as part of their communities, healthy and safe, and to reduce anti-social behaviour. To achieve this we must work closer with our secondary schools, and this event was an important part of that process. To continue this will be one of my priorities as LAT Chairman for the coming year.

Many thanks to the students and staff of Goole High School for making the event a great success.


http://www.goolehighschool.org/

Support for Goole's Youth is Local Action Team priority for the coming year

Youth provision was the top item on the agenda of the recent meeting of the Goole and Howden Local Action Team (LAT). East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s (ERYC) Integrated Youth Support Service Manager, Kevin Allen, attended to discuss long standing youth issues in Goole, particularly the youth provision at the Old Goole Youth Centre.

Mr Allen informed the meeting that the ERYC has a duty to create a single body to take care of youth support and develop an “Integrated Youth Support Strategy.” Regrettably at this time the potential of the Old Goole Youth centre cannot be taken forward. The major stumbling block being a local request for the building to have listed status, although a decision on this is expected by the end of July. In the meantime he confirmed that funding is available for an additional evening of youth activity each week, for the time being.

It is acknowledged that a lack of youth provision has a direct correlation with anti-social behaviour including arson. When the youth centre is open, according to the Police and Fire services, emergency calls are reduced.

“Over the recent months there have been many, many calls to the Police and Fire services, particularly in and around the Field House Farm site, these are costing a significant amount of money in man-hours. A relatively small investment in cash or in kind would enable the Old Goole Centre to open on more evenings or other appropriate activities provided - which would result in less calls for the emergency services, and therefore provide savings to the Police and Fire services. These savings could then be used in other priority areas, which would be especially relevant to Humberside Fire and Rescue - who are shortly to complete a controversial downsizing of the service provided in Goole”.

“The ERYC Youth Service is not the only player in youth provision in Goole and Old Goole, with many organisations having an interest and working in the town, these include the Police, Fire Service, Health, as well as the voluntary sector - working and engaging young people in a variety of positive projects and activities. The ‘Integrated Youth Support Strategy’ is a golden opportunity for all these groups to come together, share expertise and resources, and provide a better service for young people to be developed for the same, or even less money”.

“Involving young people in the decision making process is vital. Young people must be asked what they want and what their needs are. Without young people’s involvement from the beginning, the delivery of any youth provision would be not valued or looked after by them, and this is essential to the successful delivery of youth provision”.

“Only by working together, talking and listening to all members of the community can the Community workers and leaders of Goole and Old Goole hope to fully engage the young people of the town with the aim to produce responsible, healthy individuals. This will hopefully contribute to creating a stronger society for the future”.

“If we fail to build sustainable youth support, the cycle of disillusionment will continue which will impact on the well being of our local society. Ultimately engaging and helping the young people in Goole and Old Goole to feel valued, healthy and safe, is a process that must be undertaken and this will be one of my priorities as LAT Chairman for the coming year”.

Skate/BMX parks - and how young people can develop a sense of ownership

The Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team (LAT) is working with other groups, organisations and partners to look at anti-social behaviour issues. The perceived lack of youth facilities and activities to enable young people to have things to do and places to go appears to be a contributory factor, particularly in both Goole and Old Goole.Along with fellow East Riding of Yorkshire Councillor (ERYC) Beryl Beck Taylor, Goole’s detached youth workers, and a number of young people I was invited on a fact- finding mission to look at youth facilities including skate parks, BMX tracks and play areas in Hull and the East Riding.

Unfortunately the weather was a little cold so there were not many young people using the facilities, but I was very much impressed by the Ings Road site provided by Hull City Council and free to use. The £330k concrete skate/bike park was funded through grants and administered by the council, and is of a concrete construction with a shelter and seating. The site is unfenced but is protected by CCTV and timed lighting. The most striking thing (apart from the non-offensive graffiti) was the lack of vandalism.

(Ings Road skate/BMX park)

I was amazed by the young people we spoke to, who said they police the site themselves, bring their own brushes to clean it, and won’t allow offensive graffiti. They actually came across as having a strong sense of ownership, having been part of the decision making process from the very beginning - which was great to hear.

The visit also included a visit to the Haltemprice Sport Centre’s flood-lit metal skate park, which was developed as a result of community leaders supporting young people with their applications for funding and helping them to commission contractors to work on their ideas.

Interestingly this was on the back of a visit to the Bridlington Town Council’s skate/BMX park a few weeks ago. This project was put together by Bridlington Town Council, and differs significantly in the fact that the whole area is fenced and locked, there is a charge to use the facility and most importantly the young people we spoke to felt no ownership of the skate park whatsoever. Unfortunately the site has suffered from vandalism.

The visit to Hull was about giving young people the opportunity to consider and discuss their dreams and ideas for Goole. The BMX trail in West Park, Goole is due to be extended and developed, so it was a useful opportunity to find out what works elsewhere.

The young people played an active role in developing some of the sites that we visited, and we wanted to encourage and motivate our young people to play their part in shaping Goole for the future.

The visit formed part of a project the ERYC Youth Service in delivering in Goole using some £19,000 of the Government’s ‘Connecting Communities’ funding which is to be used to fund a number of community based activities in the town over the next few months. The aim is to encourage young people to engage in decision-making processes and inspire them to influence those decisions affecting their communities.

Unfortunately the weather was a little cold so there were not many young people using the facilities, but I was very much impressed by the Ings Road site provided by Hull City Council and free to use. The £330k concrete skate/bike park was funded through grants and administered by the council, and is of a concrete construction with a shelter and seating. The site is protected by CCTV and timed lighting.

I was amazed by the kids we spoke to, who said they police the site themselves, bring their own brushes to clean it, and won’t allow offensive graffiti. They actually came across as having a strong sense of ownership, having been part of the decision making process from the very beginning - which was great to hear.

I feel that young people are not always listened to – especially on issues that affect them directly.

Last week I was invited to take part in the mock general election at Wolfreton School and Sixth Form College as part of their democracy day. Along with representatives from the Labour Party, Green Party and the Lib Dems we were asked to talk for a few minutes on Young People and Democracy. The following is the short presentation I gave:


Young People and Democracy

I feel that young people are not always listened to – especially on issues that affect them directly.

Today’s young people are the decision makers of tomorrow. We must stimulate your interest in democracy, enable your voices to be heard and for you to have a stake in the political process.
It is a myth that young people are not interested in politics.

I know from talking to many young people that you are passionately interested in issues as diverse as crime, anti-social behaviour and bullying, alcohol and drugs, sexual health and teenage pregnancy, youth activities and sport, and reducing the voting age to 16.

But it up to us adults to listen to you, we have to have to make formal politics more relevant and somewhat less boring – and we need to capitalise on the interest shown today. All organisations need to listen more to young people and should be encouraged to ‘youth proof’ their activities wherever possible.

We need to look at how the political parties, Government and Local Councils communicate with young people – How many of you use Facebook?

We need to maximise the use of Facebook but also Twitter, Bebo, My Space and blogs.

We need to improve the opportunities for young people to get involved in politics at a local level, through your school council, through the East Riding Youth Assembly and through emerging community youth councils.

Young people have to feel that someone is listening to them and to their point of view; this will go a long way to enhance their belief in politics. Specifically if young people were able to vote at 16, be able to fully participate in the East Riding Youth Assembly, and have the opportunity to connect with their elected Councillors, MPs and MEPs - then we might just see more engagement of young people in the political process.

(School photo by Paul Harrop)

Link to the East Riding Youth Assembly: ihttp://www.eriding.net/young_people/youth_assembly.shtml

Link to Wolfreton School:
http://www.wolfreton.co.uk/

Holme on Spalding Moor's Young People Get Teen Shelter

The teen shelter has finally been constructed in Holme On Spalding Moor (HOSM) after 3 years of consultation and planning with changes along the way to accommodate all the interested parties, and importantly taking into account the wishes of the young people. The project has been financed by the lottery and co-ordinated by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC), with the HOSM Parish Council, the Village Hall Trustees, and local volunteer group the Parish Plan Action Committee (PPAC) who kicked off the original plan with ERYC ward Councillor Paul Robinson.

The need for the shelter was identified following a consultation in 2006 by a volunteer Youth Forum, financed by the Humberside Police, which consulted over 350 children in the local schools, at the play area, and other venues in HOSM, plus some of the HOSM kids visiting the successful Gilberdyke Youth Shelters.

Thanks have to go to all those involved with this project and the ERYC officers who brought together all the interested parties to bring this exciting project to reality.

The teen shelter is located on the playing field behind the Village Hall and is a modern colourful design with integral solar lighting. It is hoped that because the young people have been very much involved in the decision making process from the very beginning, they will feel a sense of ownership towards the shelter and take care of it accordingly.

The shelter would not have become reality unless the Parish Council had agreed to take on future responsibility for the liability and upkeep. The shelter can be very easily removed or relocated if it becomes a problem.

Cllr Paul Robinson said, “Credit must go to all HOSM groups and organisations involved for working together with the ERYC and the Police to provide something positive for young people, and not forgetting the young people themselves who have been part of the process from the very beginning”.



Please see: http://paul-robinson-howdenshire.blogspot.com/search?q=a+case+for+youth+shelters+in+HOSM for the original story from 2006!!!

Minimising Anti-Social Behaviour tops list of Howdenshire residents priorities

The Goole and Howdenshire Local Action Team (LAT) had stands at recent local events including, Howden Show, Gilberdyke Strawberry Fayre and the Holme On Spalding Moor Gala.

Many thanks to all those who placed coloured stickers on the large white board enabling us to gather your views on the 30 priorities identified by the East Riding of Yorkshire Council (ERYC), the Police, Fire and Health services, and others. The top priority identified by residents at each event was ‘Anti-Social Behaviour in the East Riding is minimised’. This is high on my list of priorities and also the agenda of all partners represented on the team.

Anti-social behaviour can mean different things to different people. Anti-social behaviour can mean different things to different people and is not just the province of young people, as older people can also be anti-social in their actions. The ERYC has adopted the Home Office definition as, “any behaviour, which causes, or is capable of causing nuisance, harassment, alarm or distress to persons from a different household.” In other words, behaviour that undermines any person's right to enjoy their home, their neighbourhood and their daily life in peace and safety. This can include, persistent verbal abuse or threats, threatening and intimidating behaviour and damage to private property.

During 2008 the crime rate in Howden and Howdenshire was 2.4 crimes per 1,000 people, which is well below the average for the East Riding and makes the area a safe place in which to live. Conversely in terms of the biggest anti-social behaviour issues facing the Goole and Howdenshire area, 49.3% of respondents to the 2008 Household survey believed that teenagers hanging around the streets were a very big or fairly big problem.

I am shortly to be part of an ERYC Review Panel to embark on an in-depth investigation of anti-social behaviour, which should report back within a year.

The local Police working in partnership with the Council’s Safer Communities team and the Neighbourhood Action Team are doing many things to combat Anti-Social behaviour in Howden and Howdenshire villages, including a specific project aimed at underage drinking being delivered in a number of communities. This project includes face-to-face interaction with young people as seen at the LAT stand, where members of the ERYC Youth Service, Police, and Fire Services talked to young people about drinking and the effects of alcohol, including using ‘beer goggles’ to replicate the effects of drinking to excess.

(pictured with ERYC detached youth workers Richard Innes, Jonathan Morris & Helena Holmes)

But the Police and the Council need your help in cracking down on underage drinking, and anti-social behaviour committed by adults as well as young people - and I urge residents who experience any of this behaviour to report it by telephone to the Police on 0845 60 60 222 or the ERYC Safer Communities Team on 01482 391012.

On the 'Picket Line' as part of the 11 MILLION National Takeover Day

On 7th November I was invited by members of the East Riding Youth Assembly to take part in the 11 MILLION national takeover day, a day of action where young people could have their voices and opinions heard, and have the opportunity to influence the decision makers at the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. This was a national initiative and young people in the East Riding participated by asking for petition signatures, in order to challenge the council in continuing to find ways of allowing young people to have their voices heard within the workings of the authority.

This included being part of a mock ‘picket’ outside County Hall in Beverley, waving placards and obtaining signatures on the petitions. Needless to say there was noise, laughter and a real sense of fun - not only from the young people but also from those ERYC officers and members of the public offering their genuine support in signing the petitions.

There was some interesting reactions from some when they realised a Conservative councillor was involved on a ‘Picket Line’ including one of my first signatories - UNISON’s Syd Cunliffe, whom I know shares my desire for younger people to be more involved in the decision making processes that affect them, be it as young peoples representatives on council committees or as young members of a union. (picured with UNISON's Syd Cunliffe)

11 MILLION is the organisation led by the children's commissioner for England which makes sure that adults listen to the views of young people. For more information please click on the link below.


http://www.11million.org.uk/

For more information on the East Riding Youth Assembly please click the link below:

http://www.eriding.net/young_people/youth_assembly.shtmlw.eriding.net/young_people/youth_assembly.shtml

Out with the Local Police

Paul outside the Gilberdyke Youth Building

There have been a number of complaints from Gilberdyke and Howden regarding anti-social behaviour particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Paul Robinson says, “As a member of the multi-agency team recently formed to deal with problems of teenagers and anti-social behaviour I was asked to spend a Friday evening with the local Police in the area.

From talking to young people over the past years I am aware that alcohol is very much part of the lives of many, and as a member of the Howden Neighbourhood Police Panel and the Neighbourhood Action Team, I am also very much aware of the connection between alcohol and much of the anti-social behaviour.

During the evening we talked to a large number of teenagers from not only Gilberdyke, but from Newport, Eastrington and Howden, from as far away as Brough and Hull, and a number from Goole. The young people explained that they came to Gilberdyke because they had friends from school living in the village and they felt comfortable here even though there were limited things to do, and those from Goole felt safe here as they were not bullied or intimidated as they were in Goole.

Needless to say an amount of alcohol was seized and confiscated, along with soft drinks suspected of having being laced with alcohol. We were told by youngsters that they are unable to buy alcohol from the Supermarket or the Garage in the village as the assistants are vigilant, but they get alcohol from home and some older friends do buy for them.

The relationship that the teenagers have with the Police appeared to be very good, especially with our local PCSO Alison Pearson, which is very positive and bodes well for the future. There was an isolated instance of foul and abusive language directed at the Police following the seizure of alcohol which led to the teenager being taken home to their parents and a fixed penalty fine being issued.

The young people had concerns about some ‘thugs’ from out of the village (mostly from Goole) who periodically come over to Gilberdyke in cars or by train with the intent of causing trouble. This had led to some violence and anti-social behaviour.

Many Gilberdyke residents have told me they feel uncomfortable seeing a large group of some 30 teenagers congregating around the shops, at the railway station or walking down the street, with the size of the group being intimidating. This is understandable. PCSO Alison Pearson and I have agreed to have a meeting with the Gilberdyke teenagers in the next couple of weeks, to explain people’s concerns and see what the young people can do to reduce these. We will also look at ways of engaging the young people on Friday and Saturday evenings”.

Howdenshire Forward Learning Lab Project

To work with young people and local sport was selected as a lead priority by Howdenshire Forward. Paul Robinson, Chairman of Howdenshire Forward’s Leisure, Recreation and Culture programme says, “This area was prioritised by the organisation, as it is in tune with what people are telling us, and issues concerning young people have been highlighted in many surveys and Parish Plans conducted in Gilberdyke, Newport, and other Howdenshire villages”.
Paul Continues, “We must consult the young people of our communities and the schools are best placed to facilitate this. We must determine what the young people want, what motivates them, what doesn't etc. Any survey questions or research needs to be well thought through to get under the skin of what they are really thinking and presented to them in a format that is fun. The learning Lab project Soundscape project fitted neatly into what Howdenshire Forward is trying to achieve”.

The Learning Lab Soundscape project carried out at Howden School aimed to provide ten students from Year 10 with the technical and creative skills with which to build a soundscape of their town.

Howden, and more particularly the students’ perception of Howden, formed the starting point for the soundscape itself. It should be emphasised that the 5 – 10 minute soundscape is a creative work of sound art. The focus of the piece is the sounds themselves; it was dependant on choice of clips made by the students and how they were fragmented, repeated or layered. The exercise was concerned with dynamics, ambience, rhythm, tension and release, rather than conveying a particular meaning or specific statement about the town. The project included introducing the students to mini disc field recording, along with exposure to ideas about public and private spaces, and a listening walk, which encouraged a heightened awareness of everyday sounds that our brain usually relegates to the background. Field recording provided the bulk of recorded material for the soundscape, in addition to this, two student groups made use of the mini disk recorders after school, in order to capture more of the sounds that they experience in Howden during evening hours, as well as in their home environment.

Finally the students selected and combined the sounds recorded; by the end of the project the students had created a visual plan of their soundscape.

With regard to how the project will contribute to Howdenshire Forward initiatives, it is hoped to use recorded material, which is left in a less edited format to present alongside the more abstract soundscape. This material includes interviews of the students giving their impressions of Howden and some of their suggestions about how the town environment and facilities might be improved.

“I was struck by the students’ engagement with the soundscape project, as well as by their overwhelmingly positive view of their town and community. The students have contributed intelligent and well articulated views, and with a wide range of interests within the group - from drama and music to sport and outdoor activities – these students would make an essential contribution to any debate about the future of Howden. Hopefully, the soundscape project will be the start of a longer process of consultation with the young people of the town”.

The Learning Lab is a programme of Integreat Yorkshire, part funded by the Academy for Sustainable Communities, to work alongside Howden as part of Yorkshire Forwards Renaissance Programme.

A case for youth shelters in Holme on Spalding Moor?

Paul at the Gilberdyke Youth Shelters

Further to meeting a large number of you in Holme On Spalding Moor over the last couple of months, the issue of village youth having little to do and nowhere to go is one of your greatest concerns. This was also identified as a priority in the recently published Parish Plan.

Of the young people in HOSM, there is a significant proportion who do not necessarily want to become involved in organised activities, but just want to ‘hang around’ with their friends in a relatively secure, dry and sheltered area. This is more than likely to be a place in which they feel comfortable in doing the things they want to do, without interference from adults, but at the same time not totally isolated in case of threat or danger. This is where the concept of youth shelters or a dedicated youth building can be very successful. We must work with the young people of HOSM to help them obtain more facilities of their own”.

“Police Inspector Andy Woodhead, when talking about youth problems in Driffield said “One possibility might be to identify a location for a youth shelter where the kids can go.

There is already successful examples of how youth shelters can work, certainly one example of this is Gilberdyke, where the community identified youth issues as their main concern, much the same as in Holme On Spalding Moor. It was felt that youth congregated in areas where they were not wanted and caused a nuisance, they engaged in anti social behaviour and were perceived as a threat to many especially older people who felt intimidated. It was also the case that people felt there was nothing for the village youth to do, with few organised activities for them in the village.

There is no doubt that youth facilities are needed in Holme on Spalding Moor – but to ensure success it would be imperative that the young people in the community continue to be consulted directly. This would give the young people a sense of ownership from the very beginning, which ultimately can lead to them taking care of any facility once constructed”.

Howdenshire Forward Young People and Sport Initiative

Howdenshire Forward Young People and Sport Initiative

The following is a discussion document providing some thoughts, ideas, opinions, assumptions and comments designed to give a direction on which the Howdenshire Forward 'Young People and Sport Initiative' can proceed forward. It is by no means set in stone, 100% right or representative of but a few people’s ideas. There is heavy emphasis on listening, consultation and consent without which any project of this nature cannot succeed.

Paul Robinson
Chairman
(Young People and Sport Initiative)


Young People and Sport was selected as a lead priority (‘initiative’) to enable Howdenshire Forward to move ahead. It should be acknowledged that this could give Howdenshire Forward the opportunity for somewhat of a fresh start, it is in tune with what people are telling us, as issues concerning young people have been highlighted in many surveys and Parish Plans conducted in Howdenshire. This initiative is a positive project and is something for which we can expect to gain significant and widespread community support, relatively quick indications of success and the capacity to really impact on the quality of life of the two distinct groups of beneficiaries.

The Howdenshire Forward ‘area of impact’ has been defined as the catchment area of Howden School; this should not be completely inclusive or exclusive but viewed in general terms. Any ‘Young People’ initiative could logically have Howden School at the hub, taking into account the children attending not just Howden School but also the feeder primary schools. Sport is played across the area with many clubs and different facilities. The sports facilities already at the Howden School could well be utilised as part of any initiative, and may well become a focus for some sporting activities.

In the next few years the whole country is going to feel the impact of the Olympic games and Yorkshire Forward are working with all Local Authorities to get the maximum out of this. It means of course that we will be all much more aware of sport, particularly amongst young people, and we therefore need to be ready for what is likely to be increased uptake before and after the Games take place. This initiative would fit well into this context.

Initially Howdenshire Forward needs to look at building the partnerships essential to the make the initiative successful. Howdenshire Forward can be the lead partner but only with the consent of those other partners, this must be carefully done so as not to isolate or alienate the very organisations needed to ensure success. The partners should then subsequently have a large part of the project creation, design and most importantly the implementation. This action may well be the key function that determines the success or failure of the project.

The overall project must be sustainable with Howdenshire Forward having an exit strategy and timetable.

Young people and sport are generally associated with each other and the two can be grouped together, but not exclusively so, as it may be that there are significant groups of young people, especially amongst girls, not interested in sport.

It is widely accepted that participation in sport has many advantages for young people, from promoting good health to learning respect and life’s lessons, from team building to learning how to win and how to lose. Sport is also seen as an alternative to, drink, drugs and crime amongst young people.

It is also accepted that young people like to be creative, like to perform and be recognised for their achievements – this can be through music, drama or other artistic avenues. These are areas that can be explored and prospective partners identified and consulted.



The ‘Young People and Sport’ initiative

The ‘Young People and Sport’ initiative may well encompass a number of individual projects, and must be determined and shaped by the young people, and the participants and supporters of sport – Not Howdenshire Forward. The role of Howdenshire Forward would be to lead the initiative, undertake/oversee the consultative process, facilitate the collaboration and sharing of information required, provide help and training as the need arises, contribute to the overall design and ensure that the funding is acquired. Howdenshire Forward may well have a significant role in the delivery, and the monitoring and evaluation afterwards, but this should not be open ended.

YOUNG PEOPLE

Definition of ‘Young People’

Howdenshire Forward’s definition of ‘Young People’is those below 18 years. It may then be that this is broken down into two groups those from birth to the end of primary school age and those of secondary school age up to 18. The advantages of these two groups are:

The two groups fit very well with the schools, which may well be the key partners.

The two groups may require different levels of supervision.

The two groups have different levels of maturity and therefore different interests.

The younger group may well concentrate on more local activities with local nurseries and primary schools, the older group may be more independent and require more complex challenges which may include activities necessitating transport, but revolving around Howden School.

The younger group are a natural feeder group for the senior group.

Consultation with Young People

We must consult the young people of our communities and the schools are best placed to facilitate this. Howden School pupils, members of existing Youth organisations operating within the catchment area of Howden School, the feeder primary schools, scouts, Air cadets, Army cadets, the Youth Café, sports clubs and others must be consulted as a first step. We must determine what the young people want, what motivates them, what doesn't etc. Any survey questions or research needs to be well thought through to get under the skin of what they are really thinking and presented to them in a format that is fun.

There are numerous ways of conducting this, but the survey of the youth carried out at Howden School, where some 623 young people were consulted, could well be treated as a benchmark survey, with other consultation exercise results from other groups and organisations layered on top as they become available. This may well include a dedicated interactive website, including blogs, and the ability for the young people to be consulted by text.

Any project must give young people a sense of belonging, a feeling of empowerment, and part of the decision making process. It must be made easy for them to communicate with Howdenshire Forward, at their level not ours. A sense of ownership of any project must be instilled in the young people – (if they have a sense of ownership they are more likely to take care of it) and individual projects must appear to be bottom up rather than top down.
By definition the people already attending or part of youth organisations and other groups have already made a decision to do something positive. Those people who perhaps are not involved and possibly disenfranchised with conventional clubs and even school itself must not be excluded.

It must be acknowledged that a significant number of young people will just want to ‘hang around’ at a place where they can feel comfortable, sheltered and secure, with perhaps a minimum of supervision. If this is the case than this must be accommodated.

It must also be recognised that there is a connection between gatherings of young people and the consumption of alcohol. This is something that is very difficult to eradicate although should be discouraged as much as possible, and is not to be condoned. Though perhaps it is preferable for young people to drink in places where the communities are prepared to tolerate this rather than where those young people would choose to, where they can cause nuisance, intimidation and disruption.


SPORT

Sport by definition can be very wide ranging from ball games to motor sport, from team activities to individual efforts and includes both participants and supporters. Initially a simple inventory of sports teams operating in the Howdenshire area and facilities available could be compiled. Howdenshire Forward would be in a position to contact and consult all the teams to determine the future direction(s) and identify key people who would then be part of the decision-making and dissemination processes.

Collaboration between teams in the same community

There are many individuals or small groups that put a great deal of their own time and money into sport, especially for young people in Howdenshire. It appears that many of these individuals or small groups operate in isolation to others. These individuals or groups coming together could obtain significant advantages particular in sharing of resources and joint funding activities, especially if facilities can be shared. If Howdenshire Forward can help to facilitate this then our crucial partners will emerge.

There are organisations like the Gilberdyke and District Leisure Association (GDLA) that have brought together different sports under one umbrella organisation. A committee consisting of interested individuals, as well as members of the various sports teams and groups form the GDLA. The land on which the GDLA has numerous pitches, a bowling green, as well as a pavilion incorporating changing rooms was purchased and is owned by Gilberdyke Parish Council for which a peppercorn rent is levied. Parish Council funding has been provided annually for individual sports as well as the GDLA itself to help with the running costs of the facilities. The Parish Council is moving away from funding individual sports but instead placing those funds at the disposal of the GDLA, the committee will then prioritise and decide which sports should be funded and to what amount. This is an example of how sporting groups can come together to make decisions specific to sport, based on experience and knowledge, rather than the Parish Council making decisions with little or no relevant knowledge. This concept is possibly something that can be developed and adapted to enable Howdenshire Forward to fund sporting activities across the target area whilst ensuring that the decision making process is devolved to the local level.

Conversely the ‘Ashes’ playing fields in Howden appears to be under used. Howden Amateurs FC use the ' facilities' and are a Premier County League Club however the poor facilities (the Pavilion) prevent the team from progressing further. A small grant from the football foundation was obtained for new posts, which have been installed. Perhaps the club could be expanded to involve young people and a junior team developed, although the lack of space may be a constraint. The Howden Town Juniors could not be accommodated on the ‘Ashes’ and obtained a new pitch near the school on land that is rented from the East Riding of Yorkshire Council. Cricket has recently returned to play on the ‘Ashes’ however the poor facilities (the pavilion) are again a constraint. The Ashes Playing Field sub-committee are at the present time applying for grants to rebuild/refurbish the pavilion and also develop the existing tennis courts into a multi purpose all weather area. The Town Council provides an annual grant to the ‘Ashes’ and is also holding commuted sums money earmarked for the above projects.

It appears that the sports organisations/groups in Howden operate in relative isolation to each other. It may be that these groups could be brought together to fully utilise the existing facilities in the town, including the school, The ‘Ashes’, and the football pitches rented from the council, etc. New shared facilities could then be developed in the future as the need is identified.

There are facilities in a number of other villages within the target area, which need to be encouraged to be part of the initiative. Ideas that have proved to be successful can then be shared, altered and developed if required.

Adult teams without junior sections

There are sports teams, which cater only for adults and do not have a junior section and vice versa. The positive benefits of having junior teams attached to adult teams are numerous and should be encouraged to provide mentoring for the young people, and to help those teams become sustainable in the long term as the young players mature.

There appears to be many children who do not take part in organised sports, but participate in spontaneous sporting activities where a group will put their jumpers on piles to form goals before stating to play football. This is important, as only thing required for this is an open space. The same could be said for a flat tarmac area, not designed for anything specifically but used for skate boarding or BMX riding.

Supporters Clubs

There is also the issue of people who support teams rather than play. It may be that supporters clubs affiliated to professional teams, such as Hull City, Leeds Utd, Goole Town, Hull FC, Hull Ice Hockey and others, can become established or existing groups developed. Again these organisations would be crucial partners.