Positive For Youth!

A Youth Strategy for Swanage and surrounding area

Mr Johnson from St Mark’s CE Primary School and other adults and young people from The Swanage School got together on 21st November at Swanage Town Hall to kick off initial ideas to co-create a strategy for young people that will help them thrive, such as feeling happy, safe, healthy, aspirational and with a sense of belonging.

The Swanage Town and Community Partnership brings together Swanage Town Council, Swanage & Purbeck Development Trust, charities such as the National Trust, and other local public and voluntary organisations to identify local community priorities and make a difference. Hosted by Kim Gallagher, the chair of the Swanage Town and Community Partnership, this very enthusiastic meeting brought together councillors, local activity providers, owners of local sports and activity clubs, Dorset Council officers and service leads for children and young people, schools and landowners. The group signed up to working together over the next 6-9 months to create this strategy.

 

Alex Brocklesby, from the National Trust, facilitated the meeting and took participants through a number of activities to understand the current issues and opportunities, the outcomes we want to achieve through this process and how we can work with young people to create this strategy. The plan would then set out how to plug the gaps in services, improve pathways to local work and careers, and to help with the small amount of anti-social behaviour highlighted in recent surveys and the meeting with the police at the Methodist Church.

Swanage is geographically remote, and we all know too well the limited access to regional and local services and facilities is constantly being brought to our attention along with poor public transport links.

Kim Gallagher said: ‘There are so many folk in Swanage who have lots of skills to offer and by bringing this group together we will co-create a fantastic range of plans which will make a real difference to the lives of our future generations’

Councillor Tina Foster said: “We are an amazing town and are great at working together and finding positive results”

The next meeting will be in January and we would be pleased to hear from anyone who feels they want to contribute and be involved by emailing admin@swanage.gov.uk.