Within this social context the DYP has as a priority encouraged young people to play an integral part in the local regeneration process. It has also endeavoured to better equip young people with the skills and confidence to be both prime movers and a focus for the reshaping of the local community. This has however been a time of expansion for the DYP, with increased revenue funding from the SIP award enabling the DYP To employ additional youth work staff, allied to the continuing sessional youth work support received from Glasgow City Council Youth Services. The DYP has continued to provide a wide and diverse range of opportunities for local young people.
It is unfortunate that the current political priorities of the Scottish Executive and their representation through the media often appear to demonise young people, and fuel a social attitude of blaming young people for the demise of local communities. Contrary to this perspective, the DYP and similar groups are very much concerned with acknowledging young peoples� talents and investing in them as critical stakeholders in the positive development of their own communities. The DYP youth work programmes have facilitated this in a number of ways.
The members of the Young Persons Focus Group (YPFG) have matured their confidence and skills over the past twelve months, and their recent work in identifying new potential premises, both for the DYP and for new local youth facilities, has been a very heartening aspect of the Project�s work. The YPFG enjoyed their training residential last August at the Stanley Nairne Centre, near Dunkeld. The programme of outdoor education and issue-based workshops was collectively agreed to be a fun way of learning to trust each other, work as an effective team and communicate issues and ideas thoughtfully and clearly. The ongoing work of the Focus Group has involved them presenting their report on local youth facilities to both our local councillor and to the Dalmarnock Regeneration Group. The Group�s vision for a new facility in Dalmarnock was formed through their study visits to other youth centres in the Glasgow area, and also through their experience of the activities and drop-in facility currently operating from Millerfield Road.
The Focus Group is critically important, not just in playing a role in developing and managing a new youth facility in Dalmarnock, but also in being a voice for all local young people within the community. The challenge to the DYP management committee, as well as to other agencies and groups, is to be able to effectively listen to the collective voice of Dalmarnock�s young people, as expressed through the work of the YPFG.
Scottish Gas and the East End Partnership (EEP) became closely involved with the DYP in November/December 2002. At this time, discussions facilitated by East End Health Action (EEHA) had led to proposals for establishing DYP youth challenge groups, whose agreed programmes would enhance young people�s employability and encourage their involvement with training and further education. The DYP viewed this close involvement with EEP and the resources provided by Scottish Gas as an excellent partnership opportunity to facilitate the DYP�s ongoing group work activity; with the additional benefit of providing a structured training programme appropriate to the employment and training needs of young people.
The two Scottish Gas Youth Challenge groups are following modular programmes, which cover three distinct themes:
- Developing �soft skills� and preparing for the world of employment and training
- Health and well-being
- A local community development project
The last twelve months have seen the DYP building a closer working relationship with the East End Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP), and linking in with strategic developments throughout the East End of Glasgow. The SIP Fund Award allocated to the drop-in facility and its integrated funding to the DYP�s core services has offered the Youth Project some strategic stability, ensuring the drop-in service continues and enabling its expansion. It also assists in maintaining the DYP�s core detached youth work programme.
From January to March 2003, the DYP undertook an audit of the services and activities available for 9-12 year olds, both locally and further afield. Similarly, consultation was initiated with relevant voluntary organisations and departments of Glasgow City Council to confirm the view that a youth-work-styled input with this age group would be both appropriate and beneficial. In response to this research, together with additional evidence gathered through our street work programme, the DYP has now opened a Monday night drop-in facility for 9-12 year olds. The DYP youth work staff will happily tell you that it is attended by more than twenty very enthusiastic young people, who are all new contacts and participants at the Project. I can confirm that they have definitely made their presence felt at the DYP.
The greatest strength of the drop-in provision is the manner in which it links young people into other aspects of the Project�s work, and in particular its group work and community development projects. The establishment of a drop-in has enabled the youth work staff to build positive relationships with young people an subsequently offer the support around many issues, for example employment, training, health and relationships.
The DYP has continued its close involvement with the work of the SIP Youth Participation Group, which has produced its first newsletter on local youth issues with a circulation of 30,000, with a second edition planned for the coming months. Group members are now also members of the youth survey steering group, and are playing a central role in how the research brief is co-ordinated and implemented. The pilot stage of the Project was about giving young people within the East End Social Inclusion Partnership an effective voice in decision-making. To this end the group has also been on study visits to other SIP areas to examine the structures and methods utilised in these locations for giving young people a voice, and considering their suitability and adaptability to the needs of young people in the East End of Glasgow.
Our time at Millerfield Road may be nearing its end, but despite the negative views expressed about these premises by a small minority, the DYP takes the view that they have enabled young people to take responsibility and ownership of their own facility. Now they have raised expectations that they can move forward and develop new, better-equipped facilities, managed by themselves for themselves. These facilities will be situated both at the very heart of the local regeneration process and at the centre of local community life.
The new management committee will be joining a project that is growing in strength and moving forward in partnership with the young people of Dalmarnock. The recent good news of further funding from the SIP fund and BBC Children in Need will strengthen the operation of the DYP, locally and strategically. The new management committee will be involved in developing a business plan for the DYP and in confirming a 3-5 year strategy for youth services. This will be facilitated through the residential planned for October and funded by BBC Children in Need. Similarly, the new management committee will be taking part in a self-evaluation course provided by BBC Children in Need and acquainting themselves with the monitoring and evaluation methodologies of the East End SIP.
The closer involvement with SIP and strategic youth work throughout the city will necessitate the DYP re-examining its priorities and considering how best to deploy its resources, building a long-term strategic vision for services and opportunities for young people in Dalmarnock. The future direction of the Project will be intrinsically linked to working with the East End SIP, Glasgow City Council Youth Services, and our colleagues at the other East End voluntary youth projects. This process will not, of course, operate within a vacuum, and the current social policy of the Scottish Executive will be highly significant. There may be some interesting challenges ahead with respect to the current youth crime agenda and its proposed punitive measures. It is important that young people are empowered to influence these particular policy areas.
On a personal note, I would like offer my sincere thanks to the management committee for their personal support over the year, especially as my role has changed with the employment of additional staff.
I very much appreciate the input of out entire staff team, and in particular I would like to give mention to William Faulds hard work with the SIP youth participation group, and Janet Gillan's tireless energy in working on both the Building Bridges project and the SGYC Outward Bound programmes.
I know that the Young Woman�s Group Residential at Wiston Lodge was enjoyed and was a great success, despite the food not being to some people�s liking. I would therefore thank Naomi Dorfman and Laura Kennedy for their support of the group.
The DYP is similarly grateful to work undertaken by Rebecca Evans, who was on placement with the DYP as part of her BA Community Education Course at University. Becky was responsible for much of the research undertaken with respect to developing new work with 9-12 year olds, and in co-ordinating the Scottish Gas Youth Challenge consultation workshops. I wish Becky every success in her continuing studies and chosen profession of Community Education.
Finally I welcome Gavin Bell to the staff team as our new administration worker. I hope he enjoys his work with the DYP and finds it worthwhile. I am certainly looking forward to spending more of my time carrying out youth work, and perhaps now getting a holiday and watching Partick Thistle�s pre-season tour.
John R. Hosie
Senior Youth Worker
July 2003