Youth Work in Charlton Kings

If you are a provider of free, local activities for children and would like your details added to this page, please contact the Community Development Officer on community@charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk

We can advertise them on this page of our website and through our other communications channels (social media, Parish Newsletter and Parish Noticeboards).

If you have your own website or Facebook page, we would be happy to include a link on this page too.

Summer Programme

The Parish Council's sponsorship programme of summer activities for children and young people was held throughout August, with over 250 children and young people, ages 4 – 18, attending events and workshops in the Stanton Hall, Kings Hall, Grange Field, and Timbercombe Woods.

The programme included a broad range of activities, including Arts & Crafts, Digital Media, Cookery, Music, Outdoors/Nature, and Sport. Some of our young people also got involved in the Gloucestershire County Council Holiday Activity & Food Programme (HAF), led by Inspire to Aspire, who funded a series of sporting activities, lunches, and a day trip to 'Go Ape' forest adventure park in the Forest of Dean.

Take a look at the photo posters by clicking on the green bar below – feedback from the activity providers, parents and the young people themselves proved really positive and we hope to run similar programmes again in the coming year.

Will Mills from Cheltenham Town Community Trust is running weekly football sessions for children throughout July and August.

These free sessions take place every Wednesday (5.00 – 6.00pm) for young people aged 14 – 18 years.

These are drop-in sessions and booking is not required.

Charlton Kings Library is running 3 week coding courses for children this summer.

The next set of available dates is: Saturday 23rd July, Saturday 30th July, Saturday 6th August (11.00 – 12.00pm): Age 9 - 13 years

Children will learn how to build a simple game using Scratch.

Venue: Charlton Kings Library, Church Piece, Charlton Kings, GL53 8AR

To book please sign up at the library desk.

This is a workshop provided free of charge by Charlton Kings Library.

The Detached Youth Workers from Inspire to Aspire are running weekly sports sessions for children this summer.

11 – 16's will have the opportunity to join in a variety of sports supervised by the Youth Workers.

4th August 2022 - Football

11th August 2022 - Tag Rugby

18th August 2022 - Rounders

19th August 2022 - Trip to Go - Ape

25th August 2022 - Cricket

All sessions start at 10am and finish at 2pm with the exception of the Go-Ape trip which will return to Kings Hall at around 4pm.

Venue: Meet at Kings Hall, Church Piece, Charlton Kings, GL53 8AR

Sports will take place on Grange Field.

To book please sign up using the link.

https://inspiretoaspire.coordinate.cloud/list

These sessions are provided free of charge.

Youth Work Project Partnership funds Inspire to Aspire

Charlton Kings Parish Council is a member of the Cheltenham-wide Youth Work Project Partnership alongside Cheltenham Borough Council, Cheltenham Borough Homes, Up Hatherley Parish Council and other partners.

This Joint Partnership initially funded Inspire to Aspire to deliver a year of detached youth work across the borough to meet the young people where they are both physically and developmentally.

After a successful first year (2021/22) it was agreed by the Joint Partnership that Inspire to Aspire would be funded for a further year from July 2022 – July 2023.

Areas covered are Charlton Kings, Up Hatherley, The Moors in St. Peters, St. Pauls and the town centre.

Youth Work Update from Inspire to Aspire - May 2022

In their report for May of this year, the detached youth workers have noted good engagement of young people in Charlton Kings with up to 20 weekly interactions per session. The nature of detached youth work is that the youth workers are available in the streets and parks for the children to talk to rather than seeking attendance at a particular location and therefore this is considered to be a good level of voluntary engagement from the young people.

The detached youth sessions are aimed at young people aged 11-13 years and 14 – 18 years and now taking place on Wednesday evenings, to coincide with the Cheltenham Town free football sessions on the Grange Field. Youth worker Rob comes to Charlton Kings every week accompanied by various members of the I to A team.

What is detached youth work and why is it important?

"Detached work is a way of building relationships with young people on their territory. Usually that means on the streets, on estates, in arcades, pubs, parks or wherever they hang out. Historically, it was thought of as work with the "unattached" or the "unclubbables" - those who didn't fit or were barred from mainstream youth provision. More recent terms might include disengaged, at risk or socially excluded."

(PJ White, Children and Young People Now, 2007)

What does a typical interaction look like when doing detached youth work?

"There is no typical interaction, beyond us approaching young people we come across and introducing ourselves as youth workers. It all depends on the young person (or group of) and their experience of adults in their lives.

In Charlton Kings (where they have experience of working with youth workers) they engage well and we will chat about all sorts, school, careers, weather, substances etc. Conversations with well engaged young people will be about encouraging the young people to believe in themselves and working out ways together that they can achieve their goals whilst also promoting pro social behaviour and signposting the young people to other agencies for support if needed.

If a young person does not have experience of working with a youth worker but their experience of adults in their lives is generally positive, they will engage well with some curiosity, here we will explain what a youth worker is and engage in conversations similar to those who have experience of working with a youth worker.

If a young person does not have experience of working with a youth worker and their experience of adults is generally negative, these can be the hardest to work with. Working with this group involves long periods of time of showing up, building trust and taking down the metaphorical walls they have built around themselves to keep themselves safe from adults. (Youth Worker Rob H, Inspire to Aspire, 2021)

What do the Youth Workers talk about?

1) We ask the young people what they would like to see happening in the community.

2) We also ask about how school is going and what activities they like to take part in.

3) Finally we talk about how they fit into the wider community and how they can build bridges and become more integrated in the community.

(Youth Worker Rob H, Inspire to Aspire, 2021)

How can you spot the Youth Workers?

The Youth Workers from Inspire to Aspire are easy to identify in their branded, bright yellow t-shirts and often come armed with supplies of snacks and drinks as some of the children they meet with have skipped meals for a variety of reasons.

Charlton Kings Youth Task/Action Group

Charlton Kings Parish Council is part of the Charlton Kings Youth Task/Action Group led by the Police.

The Youth Task/Action Group meets regularly to consider the work currently being done, the impact being made and agree next steps in improving the provision for young people in Charlton Kings. Cllrs Honeywill and Johnson represent the Parish Council on the Group.