Agenda item

Members were presented with a report which provided an update on the Youth Resilience Grant and a summary of current performance, which provided Members with an overview of the grant review process.

Following the unsuccessful tender procurement exercise to ascertain a service provider that could provide children and young people aged 8 – 14 years with the required resources to transition happily and healthily into adolescent, the grant opportunity had been advertised to focus on emotional resilience and transition ages.  YMCA and Ad Astra had been successful and had commenced work in schools the North Area from 1 November 2020 as follows:-

Wellgate School YMCA

Kexborough School YMCA

Summer Lane School YMCA

Athersley North School Ad Astra

Athersley South School Ad Astra

Laithes Primary School Ad Astra

Members recalled that at the North Area Council Meeting held in March 2022 an agreement had been reached to fund the project for an additional two years at £90,000 p.a. until 31 October 2024.

Following a query raised by Councillor Howard regarding whether sessions had been held in schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, R Adams commented that it had been intended to commence sessions in schools during April 2020, which had been deferred to November 2020.

K Ashworth queried whether Members would be willing to be videoed to pose a series of open-ended questions for young people to respond to.  The questions would be focused around confidence, self-expressions, relationships, making better decisions, peer support, advocacy, worries, concerns and anxieties for the future.

Councillor Leech requested Members to contact K Ashworth if they were interested in participating in the video recording.

RESOLVED that

(i)        Members used Sections 3 - 8 to refresh on the background of the funding Stream.

(ii)       Members familiarised themselves with the review programme.

(iii)      Members noted the timelines associated with funding the programme.