New outreach youth work project for Westbury receives funding

ALMOST £5,000 has been allocated to help launch a  project introducing outreach youth work in Westbury. 

 Chair of the children’s select committee, cllr Jon Hubbard, put the £4,950 grant application to the  Westbury Area Board.

Cllr Hubbard  explained funding requests had also gone to Westbury Town Council and Wiltshire Community Foundation, in a bid for a total of £15,000.

“This will fund 12 months’ work in Westbury for two projects,” cllr Hubbard told members.

“Teams of detached youth workers will be out in the community where young people are, working with them to help advise and inform them about how they can be out and about and enjoy themselves and not be seen as potential threats.

“They also do organised activities with the young people, eg games etc.”

Stakeholders would be in regular discussions, he added. Projects had been particularly successful with addressing issues of young people drinking or drug taking and antisocial behaviour.

There are already small teams in Melksham and Atworth who go out with flasks of hot water and give out hot drinks and sit down and talk with them, cllr Hubbard said. 

“They may engage with young people who have additional needs and that’s where ‘teen talks’ come in. This is where we have BAPC registered specialist young persons’ councillors who do eight to ten sessions of therapy for young people who are referred by themselves, parents or schools”

He added they were working closely with the Westbury community group Popcan (Penleigh & Oldfield Park Community Action Network) to  deliver the outreach service. 

Cllr Russell Hawker asked whether the project was linked with any existing community centre or  youth group.

 “The people who run the Westbury and Warminster youth clubs have been part of the discussions, but will not be involved in the delivery,” cllr Hubbard replied.  “We would all be aware of each other and detached workers would be encouraging young people to take part in activities at the youth clubs.”

Cllr Hawker said, “Over the 14 years I was involved with the former Westbury Youth Centre before it closed I saw outreach services come and go and knowing this is one makes  me feel fairly positive about it, because I saw some of them work rather well.”

He added the need was  greatest in the summer, when groups of teenagers occupy the high street until they are moved on and go on to housing estates – particularly Leigh Park where there were nice greens they could move between. 

Kathy Hutt, chair of Dilton Marsh Parish Council, asked if the scheme would be rolled out in surrounding villages. Cllr Hubbard said the funding was to get it started in Westbury town, but the Melksham scheme had progressed naturally to the village of Atworth, so there was potential.