From H&M to youth club - giving Stratford's youngsters a place of their own

PROVIDING children in Stratford with a safe haven to have fun, make new friends and learn life skills is proving very rewarding for town-based charities Escape Arts and Lifespace Trust.

Since its launch in August last year, the charities’ new universal youth club is playing a vital part in giving youngsters something to do after school during term time.

Funded through a grant from Warwickshire County Council’s youth fund, the club provides a space for eight- to 18-year-olds to escape from the pressures of education and enjoy some downtime.

Youth co-ordinator Sarah Cowley-Catchpole told the Herald: “Local organisations in Stratford, one of which is Escape Arts, have been campaigning and working hard to bring universal youth clubs into town because there haven’t been any for such a long time.

“So there was a lot of consultation with young people, who said they did not feel seen or heard in the town because it was more for tourists and the older generation. They felt like they didn’t have a voice, didn’t have a safe place to go to or anything to do.

“Lifespace Trust and Escape Arts have known for quite some time there is a real need for youth clubs in Stratford. So in response to the views of local youngsters, we decided to go for the county council’s youth fund, which is part of a national programme to re-introduce youth clubs into areas of the country where there haven’t been any for quite some time.”

The junior group, for those aged eight to 12, holds its sessions at the Ken Kennett Centre every Tuesday where children can get involved in sport activities, team building, games, cooking, arts and crafts, and more.

However, the children themselves are not bound to certain activities – they have a say in what they want to do.

“The whole project is co-created with young people and we respond to the ideas and thoughts they have,” said Sarah.

“If someone expressed an interest in a particular subject, we do everything we can to bring that into the programme.

“It’s important that young people have a say. It makes them feel like they have a voice and are seen to facilitate what they’d like to do.

“We’ve now got Lego at the club because several of the youngsters wanted it. I’m now in the process of trying to find a boxing instructor because a number of the children want to try boxing.

“We do our best to respond to the needs of young people and our youth work is running throughout it all. We’re there to educate and empower young people to make positive changes. The fun side is very much led by the youngsters, but they also have a say in the youth work too.”

Meanwhile, the senior group, for those over 12 and up to the age of 18, runs out of the old H&M store in Bell Court which Escape Arts took over in late November.

“It was important to be located in town and to be visible to young people and the idea was to capture them straight from school,” said Sarah. “So many children are waiting for buses or sitting on the pavement in the rain, so it’s really important to have that drop-in after school.

“The senior group runs from 3.30pm-7pm and it can get very busy straight after school. What we’re finding is that more and more children are now coming straight in from school and staying until 7pm.

“For those that come, the group has gone from something they want to do, to something they want to stay at. And as it’s our space, we’ve got a lot more equipment and access to things.

“We’ve permanently got table tennis tables – one of which was given us to by Stratford mayor Kevin Taylor – and we’ve also got a mini pool table, air hockey, an arts and crafts area and much more.

“As it’s our space we can leave it there and the youngsters take ownership of that space. If they feel something should be moved elsewhere and others agree with them, then we’ll move things around.

“We’re there to facilitate for them in safe and positive way.”

Sarah added: “The youth work element does come into it more at the senior group. Part of the county council’s youth fund is to raise awareness of four key areas. Those are: knife crime, anti-social behaviour, alcohol misuse, child exploitation and County Lines.”

One of the pleasing things for Sarah is the positive feedback she has received from those who have attended the groups. There are around 15 to 20 youngsters attending the weekly junior group, while approximately 25 to 30 attend the senior group – and those figures are regularly increasing.

“Each week we are finding more youngsters come and join the groups because either their friends have told them or schools have told them about the club,” said Sarah.

“The feedback we’ve had has been really good. The young people have said it’s a safe space, it’s a friendly atmosphere, they’ve made new friends, it’s fun and that it’s also a good place to chill after a tough day at school.”

Reflecting on the progress made since August, Sarah added: “It’s been awesome, I’m so chuffed. I’m excited about how it’s going and excited by what the future is going to be like. I just love going to the group and seeing who is going to be there, whether it be old or new faces. I’m really proud of it to be honest.”

Talking about the future, the funding from the county council is only for 18 months and will come to an end in March 2023. Therefore, for Escape Arts and Lifespace Trust, their aim between now and then is to show the real need for youth clubs in Stratford.

“We want to prove that something like this is vital for the town,” added Sarah.

“Hopefully, what I’d like to see in the future is a purpose-built building that’s central for young people and funded long-term so there’s always youth provision in Stratford for the foreseeable future.”

While the clubs are run during term time, Escape Arts and Lifespace Trust fundraise for additional activities and trips to take place during the school holidays.

For more information about the youth club, email youth@escapearts.org.uk.