THE organisers of the All Saints’ Church Youth Café have been reflecting on the success of the club over the past year after celebrating its first anniversary in January.
The Youth Café started in response to anti-social behaviour around the church and churchyard. It aims to provide a safe space for young people to meet together and takes place every Friday night at 6.30pm in the Parish Hall next to the church.
The café is a partnership between All Saints’ Church who provide the premises and volunteer support and 4Youth (SouthWest) who provide youth workers to support the activities.
Organisers say, “There have been some ups and downs over the past year as the sessions become established and the membership saw a change after the summer holiday break. We have also had a change of youth workers during the year; in the first half of 2023 the membership were mostly older teenagers but since the summer break we have seen a younger age group.
“The volunteers and 4Youth have adapted and changed to suit the needs of the young people. The members are regularly asked to make suggestions of what they would like to do, and this is fed into the activity programme.
“Popular activities are board games, painting and drawing; the game Uno is always a favourite! We have really enjoyed making pizza and cookies from scratch, celebrated bonfire night with sparklers and made Christmas cards for friends and family before Christmas.
“The young people help to make the snacks including hot chocolate and paninis and learn important life skills. We listen to music, chat about the week that’s just gone and eat together. We have made new friendships and learnt new things. We have seen some real successes with young people gaining more self-confidence and social skills.
Spaces available
“We have space for more young people to join. If your child is about to move up to secondary school and has reached the age of 11 it’s a great way to transition from primary school.
“The Youth Café is dependent on funds from a range of supporters. We are particularly grateful to the Adhelm Mission Fund, Wiltshire Council, Wiltshire Community Foundation, Westbury Town Council, Westbury Rotary Club, Westbury Lions, Westbury Area Churches Together, Community Fridge and Morrisons’ Community Champion.
“We are also grateful for individual donations. If you would like to support the work of the Youth Café you can find details here https://whtministry.org.uk/?page_id=97. If you would like to volunteer, make a donation or find out more about Youth Café please contact beth@whtministry.org.uk or 07790 870 247.
