Youth Service Consultation

Youth Service Consultation

Results Report

A Consultation to inform the development of Youth Services in Caerphilly County Borough.

Coordinated by Caerphilly Youth Forum.

September 2010

Contents

Contents

Page

1. Introduction2

1. Profile2

1. Methods3

1. The Findings3

5. Summary 28

1. Introduction

Every October, Caerphilly Youth Forum runs its Annual Conference whereby young people identify priorities for action to address over the forthcoming year. These priorities fall under the four Community Strategic themes: Education for Life, Health, Social Care and Well-being, Regeneration and Living Environment. From the Annual Youth Forum Conference in 2009 the environment group identified the following priority for action:

Priority - Change and improve facilities and activities in Youth Centres and engage new young people.

Young people decided that the Youth Forum needed to action this priority through:

1. A Borough wide consultation.
2. Reporting the findings to Councillors and Youth Service Officers to create change and improve youth centre activities.

2. Profile

291 young people participated in the consultation, between the ages of 11 and 25. Of these, 146 were female and 145 were male:

Age: / 11 – 13 / 14 – 16 / 17 - 18 / 19+ / Total
Female / 28% / 16% / 3% / 2% / 49%
Male / 26% / 21% / 3% / 1% / 51%

Young people from a broad range of backgrounds and from a variety of areas across Caerphilly County Borough participated in the consultation. This was done within projects and youth clubs. There was also opportunity for young people to complete the consultation online through the Youth Service website.

The following projects took part in the consultation:

The Basement Youth Information Network – This includes Blackwood Basement and the Basement Mobile Provision who questioned young people in the following areas: Blackwood, Gilfach Fargoed, Pantside, Penyrheol, Pontllanfraith and Pontlottyn.

Caerphilly Youth Forum – This includes the Borough Wide meeting held in July and visits to the following Youth Centres: Cefn Hengoed, Graig Y Rhacca, Lansbury Park, Maesycwmmer, Penyrheol, St Cenydd and Ynysddu.

Communities First Youth Team (The Hub) – This includes sessions run in Youth Centres, during Youth Sub Group meetings and during outreach work in the following areas: Abertysswg, Bargoed, Cefn Hengoed, Deri, Fochriw, Graig Y Rhacca, Lansbury Park, Mornington Meadows, New Tredegar, Phillipstown, Pontlottyn, Rhymney, Tirphil, Trecennydd and Trinant.

InfoQuest Cyber Café – This includes sessions run with young people from Oakdale, Pontllanfraith and Springfield.

Pontlottyn Family Centre

Senghenydd Youth Drop In Centre – This includes SYDIC itself and also Abertridwr Youth Sub Group.

Youth Centres – This includes Crosskeys and Fleur De Lys who completed the questionnaire independently.

As the Youth Centres and projects are open to all young people from different areas, young people also completed the questionnaire from Abercarn, Bedwas, Hengoed, Nelson, Newbridge, Pengam, Pentwynmawr, Risca Treowen, Trethomas, Watsville and Ystrad Mynach.

3.Methods

A Consultation Pack was designed by a group of young people from the Youth Forum. The young people then facilitated the consultation in various locations across the borough with the support of youth workers. The consultation was also available on-line and services across the borough were asked to participate.

The consultation took place between April 2010 and July 2010.

4.The Findings

All findings from the consultation have been compiled and listed as the raw data only, as provided and written by young people. This ensures that the context in which young people chose to express their ideas is not lost.

The questions asked have provided both qualitative and quantitative findings. The raw data tables show where the young people were located, what service they were accessing at the time of the consultation and who was facilitating the consultation.

For reference: Youth Sub Group (YSG), Youth Centre/Club (YC), Borough Wide Meeting (BWM).

Q1. Where do you hang out?

Table 1

Other responses not captured in the chart above:

Project/Club / Areas young people hang out
Abertridwr Youth Sub Group (SYDIC) / Forest
Abertysswg/Deri YSG (Hub) / Youth Shelter, bus stop, rugby field, skate park, memorial, back lanes.
Abertysswg YC / Youth Shelter, bus stop, rugby field.
Blackwood/Pontllanfraith (Basement) / Streets, fields, council offices, town, glee club
Cefn Hengoed YC (Hub) / Abandoned places, fields, school
Crosskeys YC / McDonalds, chippy, pubs, streets, Cwmcarn bike track
Deri YC / Woods, Forest, REVIVE, own bed
Fleur de Lys YC / Cefn Fforest ‘Stute, showfields, Blackwood High Street, Sirhowy river, Tuckers rock, Gardens, Newbridge Leisure centre
Fochriw Y C / Dowlais boys and girls club, Fish Shop, kick wall, football field, youth shelter, community centre – No Library!
Gilfach Fargoed (Basement) / Basement, Glee Club
Graig Y Rhacca YC / Fields, bus stops, Nans/family houses.
Graig Y Rhacca/Mornington Meadows (Hub) / Fields, bus stops & family houses, train station, Bedwas sports fields.
Lansbury Park YC (Hub) / The Stretch, streets, skate park
Maesycwmmer YC / Coed Y Gwernau (bikes & jumps), cars, Ystrad Mynach, Maesycwmmer
Oakdale, Springfield, Pontllanfraith (InfoQuest) / Streets, SK8 park, bike track,
Phillipstown (Hub) / By VG’s shop
Pontlottyn Family Centre / Mountain, BMX track, allotments, basement bus, old railway line, bench, Bargoed site.
Pontlottyn YSG (Hub) / River, tip, rec, Pem.
St Cenydd YC / Castleview lake/forest
SYDIC / Pub, skate park, Caerphilly town, Senghenydd, Abertridwr YSG
Trinant YC (Hub) / Blackwood, Oakdale Square, football pitch stand, Sofrydd, old school, Oakdale Skatey
Trecenydd (HUB) / Trecenydd sports field
Ynysddu YC / Fields, streets, mountains
Youth Forum / Work, pub, in the street (Cefn Hengoed/Hengoed), Drama
Anonymous / Libanus Fields, Oasis Centre, Streets, Heolddu Subway, Basement, Glee Club, Mountain, Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymney, Blackwood High Street – field/Council Offices/up town,

Q2. Do you attend any youth services (centres, projects, clubs, etc)? This could include projects run by the Council, communities or charities.

Table 2

Project/club / Other suggestions…
Abertridwr / YMCA
Crosskeys Y C / Athletics, line dancing, (Foster Care ASSOS)
Deri YC / Jam Club (Jesus & Me), REVIVE
Fleur de Lys Y C / Football & dance classes
Graig Y Rhacca/Mornington Meadows (Hub) / Bedwas rugby and Dragons
Lansbury Park YC (The Hub), / Sunday school
Penyrheol (Basement) / Brownies
Rhymney - The Hub (Joe), / Dance, rugby
SYDIC / Voice FM
Ynysddu Y C / Football (Crusaders/Abertillery)
Anonymous / Rhymney RFC & Bargoed RFC, P & I, Pontlottyn Family Centre, Boxing Club, YMCA,

If no, why not?

Project/Club / Reasons why they don’t attend youth services
Abertysswg/Deri YSG (Hub) /

• Basement doesn't come to Deri

Fochriw YC (Hub) /

• InfoQuest Cyber Café is too far

Graig y Rhacca/Mornington Meadows (Hub) /

• Infoquest Cyber Café- never heard of them
• Youth club – banned
• Basement doesn't come to the area
• Infoquest - not heard of it
• Cadets too expensive
• Guides/Scouts too childish
• Boys and Girls club - not any in the area

Lansbury Park YC (Hub) /

• Never heard of Youth Forum - would like to know more about it
• Didn't know about Youth Forum
• Basement- never heard of them
• Cadets - don’t know when they meet
• Boys & Girls Club - not one in the area
• Youth club - don't want to go
• Youth Forum - don't want to go
• Basement too far away
• Infoquest too far away
• Cadets, Guides/Scouts, Boys & Girls Club - not interested

Pontlottyn Family Centre /

• Worried about bullies, don't know about local services, boring

Trencenydd YC (The Hub) /

• Basement - Blackwood too far away
• Infoquest - Blackwood too far away
• Not interested in cadets
• Guides/Scouts - don’t know where nearest group meet
• Basement doesn't come to Trecenydd
• InfoQuest to far to come

Youth Forum BWM /

• Basement is shit, too bossy, don't do much
• Didn't know about it, rubbish, its freezing, too far away, it burnt down, not, its boring

Other /

• Nothing else to do

Q3. Are there any centres/projects you find difficulty in accessing and why?

Table 3

Project/Club / Reasons why young people have difficulty in accessing these centres/projects.
Blackwood/Pontlottyn (Basement) /

• Transport

Cefn Hengoed YC (The Hub) /

• Friday Night Project, older people their so pants wont allow
• Basement & hub don’t come around
• Cyber Café - don’t know where it is

Crosskeys Y C /

• Leisure Centre, cinema, swimming, rugby - all hard to access because of cost and mainly cost of transport

Deri YSG /

• Need more activities in Deri Community Centre
• No ramp in Deri youth club for disabled people

Fleur de Lys Y C /

• Drama & acting clubs
• Youth centres closing in the summer

Gilfach Fargoed (Basement) /

• Heolddu Youth Wing - don't like the people who run it, 'cos it's shit boring

Graig y Rhacca YC /

• Basement 'cos they don’t come to Graig y Rhacca anymore
• Sports Club - doesn’t exist in County

GYR/Mornington Meadows (The Hub) /

• Youth club - banned, Basement not in our area, Infoquest - no transport, cadets - too expensive, scouts - childish

Lansbury Park (The Hub) /

• Infoquest/basement - no transport

Lansbury Park YC (The Hub) /

• Transport problems - Blackwood InfoQquest

Maesycwmmer Y C) /

• Parks - age limits have to be 12

Pantside (Basement) /

• Up Crumlin, 'cos we can't afford bus fare and it's dark in the winter and we don't feel safe

Pentwynmawr /

• No as we don't have a youth centre near us

Penyrheol (Basement) /

• Some are too far away

Penyrheol Y C /

• Basement - didn't get back to me about a graffiti course after I put my name down

Phillipstown, Tirphil, Rhymney (The Hub) /

• Basement - don't know when they come, said they come on a Tuesday, don't always turn up

Pontlottyn Family Centre /

• Youth club - bullies and don't know anyone there, nothing around my area - boring

SYDIC /

• We used to have a "neat" careers advisor visit our centre but this can no longer happen due to funding
• Voice FM is far away from Senghenydd, it would be good to have more projects like this in the area

Trecenydd - The Hub /

• Infoquest too far from Trecenydd and Basement doesn't come to Trecenydd

Trecenydd YC (The Hub) /

• Difficult getting to Blackwood - parents don’t drive, too young to go on public transport alone
• Don’t know where nearest groups are - not publicised
• Youth Club currently closed as building undergoing maintenance work

Trinant YC (The Hub) /

• If the Hub was in a different place it would be hard to get there
• If the Hub was in Pont I might not be able to get there because of money or transport issues
• If the Hub was in Pont (different places) then I would find it difficult to improve by getting there
• If the Hub was in Pont, different place it should be up Trinant
• If the Hub was in a different place then we couldn't attend it because we have no money or transport!
• No money and transport the Hub must come to Trinant

Ynysddu Y C /

• Too far way, Crosskeys Y C - better facilities
• Football - none locally

Youth Forum BWM /

• Boys and Girls club because it is too far and Cyber café in Gelligaer - find it hard to get transport (Cefn Hengoed/Hengoed)

Q4. The Youth Forum young people suggested that youth centres should have timetabled activities. What do you think about this idea?

Table 4

Project/Club / Reasons why young people think it is a good idea
Abertysswg/Deri YSG Abertysswg /The Hub (Joe) /

• Know what's going on - able to decide when to attend
• Know what happening and when

Bargoed YSG /

• Know what's going on - make plans

Blackwood/Pontllanfraith (Basement) /

• Because you have always got something to do

Cefn Hengoed YC (The Hub) /

• Boring otherwise

Crosskeys YC /

• Because it keeps things organised and you can take it un turns, girl can play against girl and boy can play against boy

Fochriw YC /

• Not force you into activity you don't want to do

Fochriw YC/The Hub /

• Know what's going on

Gilfach Fargoed (Basement) /

• Know what's going on, more stuff to do

Graig y Rhacca YC /

• Would know what we are doing and be prepared (e.g. kit

Lansbury Park (The Hub) /

• Would rather know

Maesycwmmer Y C /

• May want to go watch people

Oakdale, Springfield, Pontllanfraith - (InfoQuest) /

• Makes me wanna come, more interesting, so you know what's happening
• Because we can do different activities

Pantside YC /

• So I know what activities are available on each day, be fun for everyone and interesting, easier to attend, can let people know

Penyrheol (Basement) /

• Know what's happening - get involved

Penyrheol YC /

• Know what we are doing and don't have to go if don't want to

Phillipstown, Tirphil, Rhymney (The Hub) /

• If interested in what's on offer can decide in advance if going to attend

Pontlottyn YSG (The Hub) /

• Because it is
• Know what's going on

Pontlottyn Family Centre /

• So you know what's going on and can go when you like the activity

St Cenydd YC /

• Not just sitting down all evening
• Get to know each other more

SYDIC /

• So you know what days activities are running and know what night to attend

Trinant YC (The Hub) /

• So we now what's happening

• Because then we know what's happening - when, where and what

Ynysddu YC /

• Know what's going on - speak to staff before and find out more, take in turns, no arguing

Youth Forum BWM (Cefn Hengoed, Hengoed) /

• You know when things are happening

Youth Forum /

• Make life easier, don't know times at the moment, could turn up and there be nothing you want to do

Anonymous /

• More likely to attend if we know what's planned

Project/Club / Reasons why young people think it is a bad idea
Cefn Hengoed YC (The Hub) / Because it's fine, may not want to join in and get annoyed
Crosskeys Y C / Activities should be arranged nightly according to numbers, people like to do different things, should do what you like, youth club would get boring
Deri Youth Club / Only open 2 days, haven't got the facility
Fleur de Lys Y C / Would just be like school, just want to do what we want to do, perhaps first have a load of activities at once, it would be boring and tedious
Fochriw YC/Hub / No point
Gilfach Fargoed (Basement) / No surprises, no chance to do different things
Graig y Rhacca/Mornington Meadows (The Hub) / Might not enjoy activity
Lansbury Park (The Hub) / Learn to entertain ourselves, good to have a variety of things to do
Maescywmmer YC / Better to do what you want
Oakdale, Springfield, Pontllanfraith - (InfoQuest) / Because we have free choice
Pantside (Staff note - Basement) / Lack of spontaneity
Pantside (Basement) / Can't do other stuff if we don't want to do what is on the timetable
SYDIC / I like the element of surprise
Trecenydd YC (The Hub) / Might want to do different activities to what is planned and wouldn’t want to miss out
Timetabled activities too much like school
Youth Forum BWM / Timetabled activities too much like school, if you know what's happening you won't go
Anonymous / Because then we know what's happening - when, where and what

Q5. How could your youth project/centre be improved?

Project/Club / Suggested improvements
Aber YC The Hub (Joe) /

• More equipment, gym equipment, behaviour contract/code

Abertridwr YSG (SYDIC) /

• More friendly staff, staff should be approachable, open in school holidays, too strict, make it cheaper to get in

Abertysswg/Deri YSG /

• Hub - more hours

Bargoed YSG /

• Access to pool tables, PC's, Xbox

Blackwood/Pontllanfraith – (Basement) /

• Spend more money on it, get us better equipment

Cefn Hengoed YC (The Hub) /

• Learn to do gardening
• Cups of tea and coffee
• Get our own hoodies
• Use all rooms (pc's of at the moment)
• DJ decks, more staff, internet social networking sites, do more things e.g. PS3, Wii, more sports

Crosskeys Y C /

• More outdoor activities, more colourful, more trips, rugby, free access, better music & sports

Deri Y C /

• Don't pay for the MUGA, netball posts, go ice skating, more art & craft, visits to swimming pool
• More computers - laptops

Deri YSG) /

• Younger youth workers, IT access, more equipment, condition of the building

Fleur de Lys Y C /

• Internet access, more fun activities, new kitchen, make it bigger, better music system, bigger TV and X box

Fochriw YC /

• New building, better tuck shop, more space, equipment
• The Hub good as it is!
• Fan's, PS3 or Xbox, dart board, cd player

Gilfach Fargoed (Basement) /

• The Basement bus is ok
• More activities, have a Wii or something, graffiti projects, making more stuff

Graig y Rhacca/Mornington Meadows - The Hub) /

• Be allowed in - remove ban
• TV and chill out area, music and dance, decorate colourful graffiti board

Graig y Rhacca YC /

• Reward trips, not smelling like fish, internet, open on Saturdays
• More activities, more trips, longer time, open earlier, more sports, no touch rugby, football (outdoor) Saturdays

Lansbury Park YC (The Hub) /

• Trips/rewards, open more than one night, discos, bike riding, DJ workshops
• Get tutors in to deliver sessions, no bullying, trampolining, pottery
• Singing, Dancing, Cooking
• Wii games - Just Dance, Wii fit
• Scrapbook - young people add to this - good memories
• Girls only area - magazines, quiet/comfy corner
• Colourful, computer, books, chill out area, cool youth workers
• Open three nights instead of one
• Display arts and crafts work of young people
• Decorate the centres ourselves - graffiti, hand prints of all the young people, photographs
• Display arts and crafts work of young people

Maescymmer YC) /

• Buy a trampoline, open longer, weights, don't shut it or another venue, fitness
• Disco’s, tuck shop, better speaker system, more trips/holidays - go carting, quad biking, outdoor leisure facilities

New Tredegar (The Hub) /

• Have it more often
• Have our own building

Oakdale, Springfield, Pontllanfraith - (InfoQuest) /

• Camping trips, paintballing, orienteering, trips out
• More computers, pool tournaments
• PC's, band, game arcade, chill out, climbing wall, table tennis
• Disco, bike hire, trampoline, music room, simulator, bowling alley

Pantside (Basement) /

• Have guest speakers about people who have done drugs
• Pimp out the basement bus, put money into buying stuff that’s good for us to do

Pantside Y C /

• Make the youth club longer, more activities for boys and girls
• Bigger, another pool table, more play station games, more things for girls to do

Penyrheol (Basement) /

• More facilities, things like internet on the computer
• X box, PS3 with games like FIFA etc

Penyrheol YC /

• Proper music, grown up soft play, sleep over in school, adventurous things, Ynys Hywel, no girls allowed ha ha!

Pontlottyn (Hub) /

• Hub - more hours

SYDIC /

• Open on Fridays, more funding

St Cenydd YC /

• More stuff to do, more delivery on the street, try to get more people to come - posters, internet in youth club

Tirphil, Rhymney (The Hub) /

• More activities, more access (only one evening at present in Phillipstown)

Trecenydd YC (The Hub) /

• 3 nights instead of 1
• Sports activities - bike riding, dodge ball
• Workshops - cooking, art, graffiti, pottery
• More variety in tuck shop only stock carton drinks
• Outdoor picnic area – benches
• Café area
• Be able to make it our own space - posters, display young peoples work, personalise room
• Chill out area - comfy sofas, TV/DVD, radio

Trecenydd (Hub) /

• Games console - Wii, arts and crafts, external agencies come in to run sessions, bright and colourful building, cool workers

Trinant YC (The Hub) /

• Laptops - internet access, Wii games, open more often
• More fun, more organised, more staff
• No letters which we don't read because it's Welsh
• More fun, more organised, more facilities, more staff
• More fun, more staff, more organised, out of the area activities
• More fun, more organised, no letters in Welsh
• More organised, more fun, more facilities, more staff, out of area activities
• More organised, more fun, in English, more facilities, more activities out of Trinant, own minibus, more staff

Ynysddu YC /

• Better facilities, (furniture, game tables), bigger place, more activities for girls
• Internet access, open longer hours, more entertainment e.g. magician
• More loud music, no boys, family planning

Youth Forum BWM /

• Young people decide what they want to do on the walls, new football posts
• Nice building, posters, internet
• Different trips for different ages, more funding
• Air hockey table, pool table, x box, less crackdown on Health & Safety
• Energetic staff, building in Blackwood, chill out area, gym equipment, graffiti, cooking,
• Computer games that work, facilitators to deliver sessions, bright colours, nice staff,
• More trips, basket ball, more parties, open more often - Cefn Hengoed/Hengoed
• Separate times for different ages, better computer games, more sports - Cefn Hengoed/Hengoed
• Stop people from drinking down the park - Cefn Hengoed/Hengoed

Anonymous /

• Drayton Manor and Alton Towers, better equipment, do better stuff
• Cost of trips and activities, better music, sports activities,
• Open in summer holidays for younger ones (summer schemes)
• More organised, more fun, more facilities/areas, more staff and out of the area activities
• Hub is good as it is

Q6. Do you think young people should or shouldn't be involved in the planning of activities?