New youth hub opens in Chesterfield
It's hoped the hub will help contribute to the decline of anti social behaviour in the town
A new youth hub has launched this week at Lower Pavements named Spireites Youth Hub.
The hubs aim is to offer diversionary activities and opportunities to young people.
This is an opportunity for young people to book on to a wide variety of sessions - ranging from online learning opportunities, art, wellbeing, ASB workshops and social sessions.
The programme also has ambitious plans to develop its offer to young people in Chesterfield by developing citizenship programmes, training and educational inputs relating to safeguarding and the violence against women and girl’s agenda.
Chesterfield Borough Council is the main funding partner of Boots on the Ground, and the programme directly contributes to achieving one of the priorities set out in their anti-social behaviour strategy - developing diversionary activity and engagement with young people in Chesterfield.
Rebecca White is the Boots on Ground-Youth Engagement Project Manager and said: "Young people are bored, they're always telling us their bored. They nee something to engage in.
"We've got a safe space now. We can carry on doing our work out on the street, but now we've got somewhere for children to engage too."
Rebecca said the past fifteen months have been a journey: "We've seen some kids grow up and move on, and now they're in college and they've got part time jobs. Now we're seeing an influx of younger, newer, groups that hang about, and we can still do that work."
Since the 'Boots on the Ground' project started 15 months ago, reports of anti social behaviour have dropped by 20%.