Kempsey PCC receives lottery funding for youth work

Kempsey PCC and South Worcestershire Action for Youth (SWAY),a community group set up by local churches, have received two National LotteryCommunity Fund Grants for work with young people.

Kempsey PCCs grant of 10,000 has been awarded to helpbring local people together and build strong relationships, especially betweenthe different generations and to improve the environment of the village byreducing low level anti-social behaviour. The grant will help to employ an experienced youth worker to who willworking alongside other agencies in the community to make contact with atargeted group of young people. Thefunds will also facilitate the purchase of a portacabin which will be adaptedfor use as a dedicated space where the young people of Kempsey can meet andsocialise.

A grouping of local churches working under the banner ofSouth Worcestershire Action for Youth has also been successful in a bid for9,700 for positive youth activities in the Kempsey, Norton and St Petersarea. The project will involve localRock musicians who will work with local teenagers to teach them guitar,keyboard, drumming, vocals and singing, both solo and as small backingharmonies; the project will also offer the opportunity for teenagers who havesome musical skills already to form a band(s) and perform to live audiences atlocal open mic evenings. The projectwill operate at St Marys Church and Norton Youth Club.

The Revd Mark Badger helped initiate these projects. He said: “I amdelighted that the National Lottery Community Fund has decided to aid us in ourwork to support local young people. Despite the continued expansion of thelocal population, there is little dedicated provision for teenagers within ourcommunity and this is leading to a rise in anti-social behaviour and negativeperceptions of young people.

“The Church has beenworking for some time in an effort to address these issues and our young peoplecontinually a desire for a place to go and for things to do. I often hear young people say this such as:

• There is nothing around here for us to do and nowhere wecan meet without getting told off or shifted.It would be great to have somewhere to hang out.
• It would be good to have somewhere to god and someone I canspeak to if I have any problems
• I think having somewhere to meet and someone on our sidewould help a lot and help me how to deal with situations and control my anger

“These grants from thewill enable us to provide much needed facilities and support for our youngpeople and we hope aid the development of a stronger safer community too.”