Contact: Pete Marsh, Strategic Manager - Youth & Community, Tel: 01962 846805,

Email: [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 Youth Opportunity Fund grants are intended to give young people, aged between 13 and 19 years, more choice and the opportunity to take greater control over what is available in their area.  The funds are to be distributed at young people's discretion on projects raised by young people to improve things to do and places to go in their area. The funds, given by the Government, were made available in September 2006 and are to be distributed and used by March 2008.

Youth Opportunity Funds are intended to involve young people, especially hard to reach young people, in identifying positive activities and things to do, and to support their role as decision makers, grant givers and project leaders.

The details of criteria and application processes have been reported in previous papers, but briefly groups of young people from Hampshire who are aged between 13-19 years can apply for grants. Projects that involve or benefit groups of vulnerable young people will be given additional weighting in the decision making processes.

1.2 Supporting young people and youth organisations through the Youth Opportunity Fund extends the capacity to increase delivery of effective youth work and supports Corporate Priorities. Providing positive activities for young people leads to safer and more secure communities, the personal and social development of young people leads to maximising their wellbeing and the improvement of facilities enhances the quality of place. As well as enabling youth work organisations, grants help them to work towards the five outcomes of Every Child Matters by encouraging young people to stay safe, be healthy, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic well being.

1.3 Grants over £5,000 from the Youth Opportunity Fund require the approval of the Executive Member. The report recommends the Executive Lead Member for Children's Services allocate grants totalling £95,118 on this occasion from the Youth Opportunity Fund.

2 Recommendations

a) It is recommended that the Executive Member for Children and Families approves Youth Opportunity Fund grant applications for 2007/08 totalling £95,118.

3 Youth Opportunity Fund 2006 - 08

3.1 The breakdown and use of the total grant over the two year period is summarised in the table below:

4 Grant applications for approval at this meeting

4.1 The additional grants for which approval is sought now are listed below, leaving a balance of funds not yet committed / earmarked of £262,014:

5 Consultation

5.1 All applications are approved by the relevant District young people scrutiny panel before being submitted for ratification by the Hampshire County Council approval process.

6 Legal implications

6.1 Any recipient of a grant will meet the necessary criteria.

7 Financial implications

7.1 Covered in the main report.

8 Personnel implications

8.1 No personnel implications have been identified for County Council staff. However, the recommendations may lead to a greater security in funding within the voluntary sector and may lead to increased employment.

9 Impact assessment

9.1 Race and equality impact assessment has been considered in the development of this report and no adverse impact has been identified.

10 Crime prevention issues

10.1 It has been demonstrated that good youth work reduces the likelihood of some young people being involved in crime. These recommendations will lead to improving partnerships between those involved in youth work by supporting a range of positive opportunities for young people

11 Views of the Local County Councillor

11.1 This report will be circulated to Members by Democratic Services and subsequent comments will be incorporated.

12 Conclusion

12.1 Ongoing work with the organisations listed in this report indicates that the services provided by them seek to improve outcomes for children, young people and their families. They also significantly contribute to the Children and Young Peoples Plan. As such, this report requests the approval of Executive Lead Member for Children's Services for funding.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB: the list excludes

1. Published works

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

Appendix 1

1. Youth Opportunity Fund 2007/08

Contact: Pete Marsh, Strategic Manager - Youth & Community, Tel: 01962 846805

1.1 Volunteering Taster Days for 11 - 15 year olds - Solent Youth Action.

A grant of £8,340 is recommended. Volunteering taster days give young people the opportunity to try out different ways of being active citizens and making a positive contribution to the community. The grant will pay for two taster days each month to March 2008, for transport, resources, running costs and to assist those who have additional needs.

1.2 RORR - Rights Odyssey Respect Responsibilities Group - Fareham.

A grant of £6,000 is recommended. The grant will help fund a trip by young people to South Africa to build a relationship with Groendal Secondary School in Sranschoek, Cape Town from work previously done via music and dance. To study cultural differences and issues on how young people live and hopefully to develop an exchange programme. Young people will share the information with schools in the area, the youth centre and the wider community through video presentations and CD/DVD.

1.3 Multi Sensory Studio Project - Rachel Maddocks School - Cowplain.

A grant of £10,000 is recommended. Rachel Maddocks School caters for young people aged 2 - 19 years with severe, profound, multiple leaning disabilities. Multi sensory resources are used to help reach and teach young people. Using sound, light and touch, pupils will learn to respond, react and anticipate. The student council were involved in the consultation with the special needs design expert who drew up the plans for the studio. This funding will be a contribution towards achieving the completion of Phase one of this project. The room will not only benefit pupils of the school, but will be used with young people on play schemes and after school activities.

1.4 Young people's equipment/resource ideas for The Original Place - Leigh Park.

A grant of £6,171 is recommended. The grant will pay for replacement and new equipment for The Original Place youth centre, once the refurbishment of the centre has been completed later this year. Young people from the centre organised, researched and completed the application form for this project with the hope that news of new resources for the centre will encourage other young people from the area to come and benefit.

1.5 Garden makeover magic - Brune Park Youth Centre

A grant of £24,607 is recommended. A group of young people, `The Trail Blazers' at Brune Park Community College, plan to make use of some unused ground on the Brune Park site. They have been involved planning the garden with the designer, drawn plans and taken photos. The grant will pay the landscaping and building work for a basketball area, a garden and a quiet area that will benefit all groups that use the centre.

1.6 Leesland Skate Park Project.

A grant of £40,000 is recommended. The grant will pay for new equipment at Leesland Skate park which will help to reduce noise and improve health and safety arrangements for people using the equipment. The park plays a vital role in the area and is a valuable community and leisure facility. Local community groups such as Friends of Leesland Park have been impressed with the young people's involvement in the project and the relationships they have built within the community.