YMCA Norfolk have announced a new partnership, Youth-West, in West Norfolk that has secured funding of £450,000 to establish five open access youth clubs and deliver new activities for young people aged 10-18 over the next three years.
The new Youth-West Partnership has received £450,000 of funding from the Youth Investment Fund, which is jointly funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Big Lottery Fund, using money raised by National Lottery players.
The partnership, led by YMCA Norfolk, includes The Benjamin Foundation, The SWAN Project, The Garage, West Norfolk MIND, the National Youth Theatre and St Edmunds Society. All seven organisations are working closely together to deliver youth clubs and activities for young people, focusing on mental health, the arts, music and raising aspirations.
Youth-West will have a central hub in King’s Lynn at the Discovery Centre, which is operated by Freebridge Community Housing.
The Youth Investment Fund aims to help young people develop skills, improve their wellbeing and engage with their communities through a wide range of activities and support, such as skills development, drop-in sessions, sports, arts and social action.
Young people will be at the heart of the provision, with key decisions being made by young people, for young people. Each of the partners in Youth-West brings a range of skills to support delivery of activities as well as local or national experience of working with young people.
Tim Sweeting, CEO of YMCA Norfolk, said “We are really excited to be leading the development of youth clubs and activities so more young people in West Norfolk can have positive role models, learn new skills and grow their self-esteem. We have a fantastic group of partners and believe we can make a massive difference with this new funding.”
Dawn Austwick, Chief Executive of the Big Lottery Fund, said: “This funding will help provide more opportunities for young people to build their confidence, discover new talents and reach their potential. It will be great to see young people getting involved in the design of these activities, making sure they reflect what matters to them and their lives.”
The Youth-West partnership will connect with local youth clubs across West Norfolk and provide additional resources and training to help enhance existing youth provision, focusing on both urban and rural areas. The funding will help re-establish youth work across the area and support the objective of securing financial support for youth provision beyond the 3-year funding period.
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