This happens time and again mate Same with youth centres. These places end up being used by the privilidged and not those they were meant to The problem is on the street so get youth workers on the street. That was the ethos behind it. If young people and single mums could walknknto places to access services there would be no need for youth work and surestart
Don't get me started on community youth projects, complete waste of time imo. Consultations with youngsters to find out what they want, put plans together, 12-18mths to get funding in place and then time to get it up and running. By the time it's done, those youngsters are over 18 and no longer interested because they're out on the lash every night!
That's if it's wanted/needed in the first place I did a project with some youth in an area and we included the youth service and parks etc. There is a patch of land that we had money to develop. The YS and parks put together the "only viable" use for that land. Basically a car park twice a week for their bendy bus, with workers in it for people to access The locals were desperate to have something and make use of the land so initially agreed. Luckily for me a few had faith in me and thanks to a old gent (sadly passed now) they literally knocked on doors and said are you sure because once it's done it's done. Came back with a "that's not what we need or want" It's now a seating area with pitches and paly area for younger kids and parents etc. First of its kind in the country as it backs onto residential buildings. The locals hold the key and clean it themselves. It's better kept than the public spaces The biggest problem was councillors and chairs of residents asaocuatobs who wanted the keys and claim it as a win for their campaigns. All were told to **** off See the venue is hard to get planninv permission for what it is, due to residents. UNLESS residents demand it. Which they did. Funny how the yiut service etc failed ro mention that jn their consultations and kept repeating "planning won't give you anything else"
