The future of any community lies in the young people that live and work within it. The district of Easington has undergone decades of social change leading up to and following the closure of the collieries. As the district moves into a new millennium and a period of sustained regeneration, support to young people to enable them to grasp new opportunities and play a pivotal role in the regeneration process is vital. This strategy focuses upon the needs of young people 11 - 19 years of age.
The aim of the Youth Strategy is to provide a framework to support young people in a coordinated partnership approach that accounts for their needs, perceptions and desires.
The District of Easington Youth Strategy is informed at a local level by two layers of information
The findings of the mapping and needs research exercises has established 4 key strategic areas which are crucial in the lives of young people.
These are:
The following Partners have informed the Strategy.
Community Safety
Reduce crime and the fear of crime affecting the lives of young people.
Crime and the fear of crime affects the lives of young people in the district as victims and perpetrators.
This Youth Strategy will integrate with the districts Crime and Disorder Strategy to support young people as victims of crime and help those who are engaged as perpetrators break the cycle of offending behaviour.
Health
Improve the health of young people and raise awareness of key issues affecting them. In the DETR Index of Multiple Deprivation 2000, Easington was the sixth most deprived community in England and the most deprived outside of London. The District exhibits some particularly serious health problems, which impact upon the immediate and long-term futures of young people. These include the highest rate of Coronary Heart Disease, a high proportion of smoking related illnesses and a high mortality rate.
Leisure and Environment
Provide opportunities and improve access for young people to engage and access Leisure activities. Provide an environment, which improves quality of life for young people.
Leisure and the environment are important issues for young people. It is important that opportunities are provided for young people to take part in leisure activities of their choice and that issues of access are addressed. Similarly, the environment in which they live and the wider environment around them affect quality of life and are of concern to young people.
Education and Training
Support young people in engaging in education and training. Education and training provides the foundation for young people to access the job market and is also a vital ingredient in accessing many other social and leisure activities. The district has a low educational achievement rate with the expectations of young people far higher than actual performance.
Strategic Vision
District of Easington Council and its partners are committed to embracing young peoples needs within current and future mainstream service delivery and provision. It is recognised that young people residing in the community must be given ample opportunity to develop and sustain their involvement in the social and economic development and regeneration of their local community.
The aims of the Youth Strategy is to identify the issues that affect young people living within the District and develop specific interventions and programmes in response to these issues. Extensive consultation has been undertaken to identify young peoples needs, concerns and desires. These findings offer a challenging opportunity for partners and other service providers to reshape mainstream service delivery over the lifetime of the Strategy. The Strategy considers current service provision and identifies areas for specific intervention to meet the needs of young people living in or visiting the District.
This Youth Strategy provides a mechanism by which the District Council and key partners can:
The Youth Strategy provides a foundation from which service providers can make informed decisions regarding the strategic direction and delivery of youth provision within the District of Easington. An Action
Plan will bring together key partners to ensure that mainstream services and provision within the District are tailored to meet the needs of specific communities or individual groups of young people residing within the District.
The first Year initiatives include:
Name: Stephen Clark
Telephone: 0191 518 6340
email: stephen.clark@easington.gov.uk |
Address: Youth Strategy Co-Ordinator, Community Safety Unit, Third Floor, Lee House, Upper Yoden Way, Peterlee, County Durham, SR8 1BB
Fax: 0191 586 6670