NEWS RELEASES
Youth Support Team for Horsham Park
3rd May 2007
A TEAM of youth support workers will be in Horsham Park to run a new service starting tomorrow evening (Friday 4 May).
Around 150 young people gather in Horsham Park every weekend during the early evening and the Youth Support Team will now be on hand during the summer months to work alongside those that meet there.
The Youth Support Team (YST) - led by appropriately trained and vetted youth workers and volunteers - will be there on Friday and Saturday evenings for the next few months to engage with young people, increase their awareness of support services and activities available and to point them towards appropriate advice.
If there is a demand for more organised activities then the volunteers will help to introduce and establish these.
The project is being led by Brighton Road Baptist Church with support from the Anglican Parish Church, Horsham District Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, Horsham District Council and West Sussex Youth Service and two pilot evenings were run over Easter in anticipation of the project.
The volunteers have been trained in how to work with young people in this setting and have been equipped with skills in first aid, personal safety and child protection.
Explaining the project in more detail, Trevor Beadle, Community Development Manager at Horsham District Council, said:
“Horsham Park is the largest social gathering space for young people in Horsham with facilities such as the skate park making it a popular place to congregate.
“Whilst it is important that young people visit the Park for recreational reasons, this project will help to ensure that their activity is positive, safe and healthy.”
Horsham Youth Council (HYPER) has previously raised concern about safety in Horsham Park as have young local people attending the annual Speak Out conference.
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CONTACT: Richard Morris, Communications Manager
Email: richard.morris@horsham.gov.uk