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Give Your Young Livin Opinion

Working with the YMCA, Oxygen wants to provide a new youth cafe based in Kingston with space for artists and bands to perform, and space to display art work. To help us want your suggestions on how it should be developed and what else we could do for you.

Please consider completing the online questionnaire at:
www.younglivin.org.uk/new_youthfacility

4Children says scrap curfews and provide more activities

Curfews should be scrapped and young people should have access to dedicated "children's zones", under proposals put forward by 4Children.

Geethika Jayatilaka, deputy chief executive of the children's charity, said every local area should have a designated zone where children and young people have access to activities ranging from sport to music.She said: "It's about joining up activities to make them easy to get to. We want local authorities to build on the extended services model but link in youth services and summer holiday activities."The charity has also called for local authorities to employ play rangers to oversee outdoor spaces and deter gangs and disaffected young people from making trouble in community areas.However, Sergeant Jason Adams, neighbourhood team leader in charge of a voluntary curfew scheme in Redruth, Cornwall, said: "I can understand why people are calling for an end to curfews because of human rights. But we're responding to what the community wants."

4Children says scrap curfews and provide more activities - Children & Young People Now

Grassroots grants

Thames Community Foundation has been appointed as the local funder for Grassroots Grants in Kingston.  The programme is funded by the Office of the Third Sector and will provide grants of up to £5,000 to help small local voluntary and community groups meet the needs of their local communities. 

To be eligible, groups must have an annual turnover of less than £20,000 and a wide range of activities and projects will be funded.  Deadlines for 2008 are 29^th August, 30^th September, 31^st October and 28^th November.  www.thamescommunityfoundation.org.uk

Tags: grants, kingston, thams community foundation

Media Research Statistics

1. One in five young men have been threatened with a knife and almost half know someone it has happened to, a survey reveals today.
2. The poll of 1,000 young people gives a bleak impression of increasing street violence and fear, which has left 78% of those questioned afraid to walk the streets.
3. After a spate of fatal stabbings, many felt pressured to carry a weapon (15%) and more than a quarter (27%) knew at least one person their age who did so. Many (11%) had been asked to join a gang.
4. The survey, by Media Research in June, showed young men and women were also increasingly affected by depression, stress and drugs.
5. The 16 to 24-year-olds reported more personal and social problems than those surveyed a year ago.
6. A majority of youngsters also said they had to deal with their worries alone. Almost a quarter could never talk to their parents about their concerns; 8% sought help in internet chatrooms; and only 6% had sought professional help.
7. The survey comes at a time of growing concern about the wellbeing of young people, after a UN report said UK children suffer greater deprivation, worse relationships with their parents and are exposed to more risks from alcohol, drugs and unsafe sex than those in any other wealthy country in the world.
8. But almost two-thirds of the young people polled said they feel the media misrepresents the issues facing young people.
9. Girls were more likely to suffer depression than boys, the survey found and almost 50% know at least one person their age with mental health problems. 56% said they knew at least one person with a drug addiction

Jesus loves ASBOs

Inside the July 2008 issue of Youthwork Magazine, Anti-social behaviour….Why have 21st century young people been labelled 'antisocial' and what is the cause of this ongoing complaint? Kingston YFC Centre Director, Richard James suggests some explanations, and offers a way that youth leaders can engage with this issue.