Young people in North East Lincolnshire are being urged to ‘think positive’ and come up with ideas about the activities they would like to see in their communities. With only three months left to place their bids and secure the money for any such activities, time could be running out for the young people of the borough to make their dreams come true!

The call came as members of the county-wide Youth Panel awarded nearly £6,000 to six local projects submitted by groups of young people from across the region. The young winners put together detailed bids for a range of activities that gives them opportunities to learn new skills, share interests or fulfil a local need, and benefit the wider community. And on 9 December, a major awareness drive will be underway to recruit more volunteers to the youth panel. 

The YOF Youth Bank Awareness  Evening is being held at  Central Hall, Duncombe Street, Grimsby, DN32 7EG  between  6pm and  9pm. Young people between 13 and 19 (up to 25 if disabled) are being invited to come along to find out more. 

Of the five neighbourhood areas, Cleethorpes and Humberston in particular are lagging behind their counterparts in Grimsby and Immingham when it comes to bidding for the ‘positive activities’ cash available from North East Lincolnshire Council. 

The Council has £35,000 left of a £120,000 budget to fund the positive activities, which are designed by and for 13-19 year-olds and decided by a panel of their peers. All the money must be awarded by the end of February.

Last week’s youth panel, made up of young people from each of the five neighbourhood areas, gave the go-ahead to funding bids for:
•        Two dance groups based at Trin young people’s centre in Cleethorpes
•        Kent Street skating group in Grimsby
•        The LGBT youth group in Grimsby
•        Neighbourhood Buddies football teams in Immingham, and
•        Centa Stage theatre company in Grimsby

The groups will use the funds to, for example, buy team ‘strips’, or much-needed items of equipment.  For some 40 enthusiastic teenagers in the theatre group, they will be able to attend a major performing arts event in London, where they hope to get first hand knowledge of further education and training courses on offer to develop their dance, acting and singing skills. The young people have already raised some £2,000 toward the costs of the trip themselves.

Head of Young People’s Service for North East Lincolnshire Council, Steve Kay, said: “These latest projects to receive funding are great examples of young people generating their own ideas and participating with real enthusiasm in projects that will give them something positive to do when they need it most.  A whole range of young people benefit and so does the wider community.

“Now we want to get some more volunteers for our youth panel.  These young people will have responsibility for youth bank development and distribution of funds or activities across the borough.”

Also attending the event on Wednesday evening are Lorraine Charters, Operational Manager of Young People’s Service, Darren Sheeran, Youth Opportunity Fund Co-Ordinator,, Katy Nielson,Youth Bank Area, and Mick Charles, Senior Youth Worker.

The projects are among many across North East Lincolnshire funded by money from the Youth Opportunity Fund, which aims to enable young people make decisions about positive things to do and places to meet. It is part of the Government’s Aiming High strategy to ensure there are plenty of activities for young people, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights. 

In total £1.96 million has been made available over three years through Aiming High in North East Lincolnshire to increase the participation of young people in positive leisure time activities.