During the Spring and Summer of 2018, York City Knights Foundation delivered a number of activity sessions for young people across Dringhouses & Woodthorpe, funded from the ward budget.
These included mobile skate park sessions at Moor Lane Youth Centre and on the Revival estate, and outdoor inflatable sessions at Woodthorpe Green and Foxwood Park.
The Foundation has produced a summary of the activities that took place, with some key learning points for the future.
Free outdoor activities for young people over 7 years of age get underway in Foxwood, Woodthorpe and Dringhouses next week.
The sessions, which also ran during the Easter and half-term holidays, are organised by the York City Knights Foundation and are funded by the Westfield and Dringhouses & Woodthorpe Ward Committees.
Skate park sessions are taking place on the following dates in July:
In August, the focus switches to ‘inflatable football’ sessions:
The successful West Thorpe Scout group is seeking adult volunteers to help support its growth.
The group provides a range of activities for local young people, and relies on the help and support of volunteers.
Can you help? If so, contact Joe Fillingham at westthorpescouts@outlook.com or go to www.westthorpescouts.weebly.com
York Music Hub is launching its Commissioning Plan and inviting musical organisations in York to apply for funding of up to £2,000 each, and clusters of schools up to £4,000 each, to help support its vision for musical provision in the city.
The commissioning plan seeks to allocate up to £40,000 during the academic year 2015/2016 and commission musical services which help develop sustainable, high quality and diverse musical experiences for local children and young people.
Funding bids should also support the National Plan for Music Education and may reflect the needs and issues identified in research undertaken by York Music Hub in 2012 and York St.John University in 2014.
A wide variety of musical bids are expected which may, for example, develop a range of singing opportunities (particularly for boys), give opportunities for children to become involved in performing and specialist events, commission music specialists or develop opportunities for using music technology. (more…)
Commissioned by Public Health England and NICE, and modelled by the University of Portsmouth and the University of Southampton, the figures are estimates of youth smoking rates for every local authority, ward and local NHS level – based on factors known to predict young people smoking.
The data will help City of York Council and other organisations in the city to respond to levels of smoking and is available on PHE’s Local Health website.
The council welcomes Public Health England’s ambition is to reduce smoking rates among young people to secure a tobacco-free generation. In York an estimated 14.54% of 15 year olds are regular or occasional smokers, compared to the national estimate of 12.71%.
The figures mirror adult smoking rates which are falling less rapidly in some areas, with smoking rates considerably higher in deprived communities. Smoking is the single biggest cause of the difference in life expectancy between the richest and poorest in England.
Nearly eight million people still smoke, with 90% having started before the age of 19. There are 28,888 people who smoke in York.
City of York Council’s Acting Director of Public Health, Julie Hotchkiss said: “Stopping smoking is the single best thing you can do to improve your health, but not starting smoking at all is even better. If we can stop young people starting smoking before the age of 19 then they stand the best chance of enjoying the health, social and financial benefits of a smoke-free life.
“Although the national modelling shows the number of 15-year-olds who smoke often or regularly in York to be higher than average, last summer’s survey of Year 10 students showed the rates were about in line with the national average. However City of York Council is aiming to prevent all children from taking up smoking in the next few years, to create a smoke-free generation.”
With the help of North Yorkshire and York’s NHS Smokefree Service “New You”, you’re up to four times more likely to quit for good. For help to quit smoking telephone 0300 303 1603.
The York Stars, a small, local theatre company specialising in community-based productions, was one of four organisations to receive a grant through the Community Play fund. The £90,000 fund was set up to provide fun, stimulating play opportunities, activities and events for children and young people, as well as their parents and carers, within the local community. The programme was managed by Your Consortium on behalf of the council.
Around 20 young people were involved in the project, which got under way at Easter. They put together their own performance, entitled The volcano in Ashraino, writing and directing the play themselves, before embarking on a tour of four residential care homes during the autumn of 2014. They performed at Oakhaven, Willow House, Red Lodge and Dower Court, for almost 60 residents in all.
To view a review of the scheme click
To find out more about the projects being funded through City of York Council’s Community Play fund click here