A busy year for young people


The wide range of events and activities for young people, which took place over the past year, were discussed by Sevenoaks District Council's Cabinet at its meeting last night (Thursday 26 August).

The Cabinet heard about the activities as part of the annual review of the Council's Young People's Action Plan, which sets out how 61 projects are being be delivered by the Council and its partners.

In the period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004, the projects included:

Free fun and activities for children aged eight and over as part of the Council's Youth Zone summer programme. More than 500 children and young people attended the events at 22 sites, which included arts, crafts, sports, circus skills and games.

Four SNAP (Say No and Phone) dance nights for young people aged 11 to 16 organised in partnership with the police, Kent County Council Youth and Community and the local town councils. More than 200 young people attended each event.

Promoting healthy lifestyles by providing activities in Swanley including free gym induction sessions and taster sessions to encourage teenagers to try swimming, circuit training and basketball. A new teen drop in was also established in Swanley funded by the Big Lottery Fund (formally known as the New Opportunities Fund), to provide a weekly sexual health advice service and a teen sexual health clinic was also launched in Edenbridge.

Free weekends for local youth groups at Halls Green Residential Centre in Sevenoaks Weald and subsidised transport for young people.

Many special events took place during the school holidays including two skate boarding events in Edenbridge and New Ash Green and mobile ice rinks in Sevenoaks and Edenbridge.

The 8 to 12's project in Swanley, which meets every Friday, continued to grow with up to 70 children attending each week. A new arts project also began on Thursdays  and a new Street Dance project on Friday evenings. The Project also ran visits to museums, workshops and nature shows.

Cllr Peter Fleming, the Council's Cabinet member with responsibility for young people, says: "Over the past year, the Council and its partners have provided many events, which have been attended by literally thousands of children and young people. This positive work was praised by Central Government inspectors earlier this year as part of our Comprehensive Performance Assessment. I hope these well attended events help challenge the common perception that there's not enough for young people to do in Sevenoaks District."

The Council is now in the process of revising the Young People's Action Plan for 2005 and onwards and is the process of finding out what young people's priorities are.

Work began over the summer with informal consultations with children and young people attending the summer Youth Zone events. Further consultations will take place through schools, youth clubs, SNAP dance nights, via text messaging and with town and parish councils, the police and other partners.

The revised plan will be in place by May 2005.