Purbeck Youth & Community Foundation

Purbeck Youth & Community Foundation are a Charitable Incorporated Association launched following funding cuts to youth centres in Dorset, including the Wareham youth centre.

Purbeck Youth & Community Foundation

They are continuing to offer support for young people and the community in Wareham through access to productive leisure time activities that enhance physical and mental wellbeing, challenge stereotypes, develop lasting relationships and increase community cohesion. Wareham is a rural area with pockets of deprivation and residents are affected by rural isolation.

A grant from the Youth Social Action Fund was awarded to cover the costs of a youth support worker, plus volunteer training, travel expenses and refreshments. The Youth support worker will recruit, train and support around 20 young volunteers to develop a programme of activities and events that will help to raise awareness of the charity and the benefits of club provision, and increase the numbers of young people who engage with its services. The young volunteers will decide on activities and events they want to organise but it is anticipated that they might include; an inter-generational fun day, bbq, laser quest, trips to shows, coffee and cake nights etc. There will be an opportunity for young volunteers to become involved in fundraising and learning the skills it involves. All volunteers will achieve a first aid qualification, a food hygiene certificate and a level of Dorset award. They will also, with support, look into the issues effecting young people in the area of Purbeck including the lack of provision for young people, rural isolation, stress, family breakdown, drugs, alcohol, relationship breakdowns etc.

The outcomes of volunteering will largely be around increasing confidence and skills of young people and thereby employability. They also aim to challenge stereotypes through inter-generational work – engaging the young people involved with older Wareham residents.

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