Housing organisation Thirteen is providing further support to the Netherfields area of Middlesbrough by funding projects for young people living in the neighbourhood.
Thirteen has awarded £23,000 to Hemlington Linx to deliver two outreach projects for young people on the Netherfields estate over the next 12 months.
Each project will initially be run from the Markby Green Community Centre to encourage young people to take part in a wide programme of events that will help them to get involved in positive activities, learn new skills and make new friends.
Linx is providing an open access youth club session every week for children aged 8-11 years. Young people coming along to the sessions will be involved in planning and developing a programme of fun and informal activities which could include music, dance, games, pool, table tennis and, during the warmer months, BBQ and outdoor activities.
For the second part of the project, youth outreach workers from Linx will also be engaging with children over the age of 12 who might not want to get involved in activities inside the community centre.
As part of all the activities, Linx will help to identify any issues the young people might be facing and work with them to access bespoke services to meet their individual needs. Attendees will be encouraged to learn about a range of issues affecting their community and get involved in positive activities to help with their development.
Jeff Horrocks, Thirteen’s neighbourhoods service manager in Netherfields, said: “We’re always looking at new ways to help improve the lives of people in our communities and hopefully this project will add to the range of activities currently available for young people in Netherfields.
“However, this project isn’t just for young people – it will also benefit families and the whole community by providing young people with support and information to help tackle some important issues that our customers have talked to us about.
“The sessions will help to increase awareness around loneliness, knife crime, county lines and possible criminal exploitation that we know young people can face in the area. As well as the more fun elements of the scheme, the project will help to improve employability skills for the older age group and also strive to improve attendance and attainment at school.”
It’s hoped that during the lighter nights, the young people will be able to go out onto the estate and work on projects in the community, such as gardening and carrying out tasks alongside older people who live in Netherfields.
Sara Mirsalehi, operations manager at Hemlington Linx, said: “We are delighted to be partnered with Thirteen to deliver much-needed informal educational activities and engagement for young people in Netherfields. These initiatives clearly demonstrate the passion and commitment that Thirteen has to invest in local communities and the people who live here.”
“We deliver our youth provision across seven different wards in Middlesbrough and results from our recent survey of young people highlight our success in deterring young people from risk-taking behaviours by building positive relationships, increasing resilience, teaching new life-skills and most importantly, creating a safe environment with alternative activities.
“The team at Linx are looking forward to building on this commitment and creating lasting relationships with positive outcomes for the local young people and their families in Netherfields.”
Any young people living in Netherfields are welcome to get involved in the sessions. For more information, get in touch with Hemlington Linx on 01642 591 955.