Friday, October 09, 2009
Out and about
I had a really good morning today visiting the Youthworks project in Tondu in Bridgend. They are attached to environmental group Groundworks but are chiefly concerned with social inclusion.
They have been doing valuable work with disconnected yougsters in some of the County Borough's most deprived communities for some time now, working with young people who have dropped out of school or have lost their way to help them fulfil their potential. They also provide an alternative curriculum provision for pupils who have dropped out of school, utilising their energy in landscaping work and building projects and teaching them skills at the same time.
I was particularly impressed at the passion with which the team approach their work and the commitment to their cause.
As ever with these sorts of projects funding is a critical subject as is the way that all the agencies such as the local Council, the Welsh Government and the UK Government work together. The fact that this does not happen often enough and that funding streams such as Communities First are sometimes used to build up empires that duplicate existing provision rather than add value to it can be a problem. There is no doubt that youth support work is under-funded and that should be addressed by taking a more holistic approach to the grant regimes that are already in place as well as bolstering existing grant provision.
They have been doing valuable work with disconnected yougsters in some of the County Borough's most deprived communities for some time now, working with young people who have dropped out of school or have lost their way to help them fulfil their potential. They also provide an alternative curriculum provision for pupils who have dropped out of school, utilising their energy in landscaping work and building projects and teaching them skills at the same time.
I was particularly impressed at the passion with which the team approach their work and the commitment to their cause.
As ever with these sorts of projects funding is a critical subject as is the way that all the agencies such as the local Council, the Welsh Government and the UK Government work together. The fact that this does not happen often enough and that funding streams such as Communities First are sometimes used to build up empires that duplicate existing provision rather than add value to it can be a problem. There is no doubt that youth support work is under-funded and that should be addressed by taking a more holistic approach to the grant regimes that are already in place as well as bolstering existing grant provision.
Comments:
<< Home
When you write ..
"... sometimes used to build up empires that duplicate existing provision rather than add value to it ..."
.. you impress me as someone in favour of smaller more effective government. David Cameron will undoubtedly welcome your input reducing government.
Post a Comment
"... sometimes used to build up empires that duplicate existing provision rather than add value to it ..."
.. you impress me as someone in favour of smaller more effective government. David Cameron will undoubtedly welcome your input reducing government.
<< Home
