Agenda item

To discuss how the Town Council could help/support existing or new provision in terms of the Council’s estate, network and earmarked funding and make recommendations to Council.

There was consensus that, with the recognition of the scale of the problem, the Town Council was already well placed to open access to preventative services. It could interact with the community for example and provide use of its premises for a youth drop in for varying partners if it chose to do so. The greatest impact would be to pitch at supporting open access and opportunities for small groups for activities.

The allocated Town Council funding could be used for rental space, signposting and a map of services to start with. Understanding what’s available and letting people know this was happening was key and should be deiminated via noticeboards, social media and the Town Council’s annual survey.

Funding criteria was a further key priority and who the Town Council wanted to fund, by how much and how to attract them. It was agreed that this should be formed from the Town Council’s existing policies and from other Councils who were providing youth funding.

Members referred to the Working Party’s vision and approach to youth and agreed the need to create a physical document outlining this. It was suggested that ‘Oxfordshire Youth’ may have the capacity to create the most accessible youth friendly signposting guide and had already done this across the County.

RECOMMENDED:

1.       Consideration on how to reach people regarding this project be delegated to the Chair and Officers,

2.       That contact is made with Oxfordshire Youth regarding a signposting document,

3.       That Officers research criteria for the Town Council’s youth grant funding, with a first draft being issued to members ahead of the next meeting of this Working Party. The final draft to be signed off at the next meeting.

4.       That the Town Council issues a Press Release regarding the above positively promoting young people.