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Search forYouth workers launch knife and drugs initiative
Monday, August 18, 2008, 09:48
Plymouth City Council's Youth Offending Service and Library Services are teaming up to encourage teenagers to swap hanging out on the streets for sewing machines and sequins in a four-week fashion focus class leading to a national Arts Award Certificate.
Nine young people from St Budeaux between the ages of 12 and 17 will be learning to design and make clothes that spread positive messages about topical issues they have chosen, such as knife crime, substance abuse and terrorism.
At the end of the four-week programme, the young fashionistas will organise a catwalk show for their creations in a display open to the whole community.
The scheme is part of the council's Youth Offending Service's efforts to work with young people in St Budeaux who have committed, or who are at risk of committing, criminal offences. The aim is to help them get involved in exciting, challenging and fun activities during the summer holidays that will help them to stay off the streets and out of trouble.
As well as Fashion Focus, the Youth Offending Service's Prevention Team is also offering other activities to help prevent offending:
Budo Beatz – a music and song writing class that will climax in producing a CD in partnership with Plymouth Music Zone and the Library Service.
Ten young men are using music to get their voices heard and challenge some common perceptions of how young people are viewed in society.
High board diving sessions – 32 young people are taking the plunge off the Olympic-sized diving boards at Central Park Leisure Pool during lessons provided by the Prevention Team and Plymouth City Sports.
Health and beauty sessions – The Youth Offending Service is also offering drop-in sessions in partnership with St. Budeaux Library where young people can learn about manicures and pedicures, hair styling, make-up application, keeping fit through dance, sexual health and drug and alcohol services and advice, plus having somewhere to just chill out.
Conservation sessions - In partnership with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, young people from the St Budeaux area have been able to experience beach conservation, woodland management, bushcraft activities and allotment maintenance.
Cllr Grant Monahan, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "It's really important that the work we do as part of the Council's Youth Offending Service is about prevention as well as cure.
"Once a young person enters the justice system, it can be difficult to get back on the straight and narrow.
"If we can work with them before they've offended, then they stand a better chance of staying out of trouble.
"I think the work happening in St Budeaux is excellent and really shows how a community can get involved in helping young people put their efforts into something positive and worthwhile."
All the activities being provided by the Youth Offending Service are fully booked throughout the summer.
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