Young people get active with Youth Connexions...

(17th August 2011)

Young people in Hertfordshire have been making good use of their free time this summer, taking part in projects and activity programmes provided by Hertfordshire County Council’s Youth Connexions.

Opportunities available to young people include sports, music gigs, overnight camps, outdoor education and circus skills. A common outcome of all of these activities is learning new skills, increasing self-confidence and making new friends.

A group of young people from Hemel Hempstead will be taking part in a week of activities in Snowdonia. In addition to developing independent living skills, they will be undertaking a resilience course giving them techniques to tackle life’s hurdles.

Young people in Watford have been learning zumba, street dance and have had the opportunity to get involved in film-making and creative arts.

Projects for young people with disabilities include cooking, arts, computer skills and going sightseeing in London.

Youth Connexions is also delivering a variety of informal sports activities such as football, rounders and ‘kwik cricket’ in parks in Watford, Abbots Langley, Royston, Hitchin, Baldock, Letchworth, Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage and throughout East Herts.

There are also opportunities to try out archery, tree climbing, kayaking and other outdoor educational experiences, as well as a number of gym and fitness sessions which are open to young people.

For young people who are interested in art, music (both recording and making), film-making, animation, graffiti and drama, there are a number of projects throughout the county.

Cllr Frances Button, Executive Member for Education & Skills, said: “It is fantastic to see young people engaging in exciting and challenging activities with the support of youth workers. There are a wide range of opportunities for young people to get involved in.”

In addition, more than 50 young people across Hertfordshire have taken part in a four-week National Citizenship Scheme called ‘Summer of a Lifetime’, which has been delivered by youth workers and personal advisers from Youth Connexions.

A key feature of this scheme is that young people volunteer and get involved in their communities. Young people have taken up the challenge in a variety of ways:

- in Stevenage, through a multi-generational project, they have organised a tea dance for older people in the local community at Bowes Lyon Centre;

- young people from Hemel Hempstead have taken part in an environmental project

- in Welwyn Hatfield young people learnt the skills to organise and then deliver a play scheme for children

- in Waltham Cross, they have led other young people decorating a local youth project.

Youth Connexions activities and projects for 13 to 19 year olds do not stop at the end of summer. Dedicated teams of youth workers deliver a diverse range of projects across the county in the evenings and weekends, encouraging young people to learn skills, take on new challenges and to reach their full potential. Young people are actively encouraged to help with the organisation and development of their projects.

All of the events and activities on offer for young people aged 13-19 can be found on the county’s website for young people at www.channelmogo.org and on the young people’s event search engine at www.mogozout.org. Alternatively email Youth Connexions on youth.connexions@hertscc.gov.uk.

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