Prior to the Sub-Committee receiving a report on Youth Service Provision for Girls, presentations were made by the girls group of Haileybury Youth Centre and the Spotlight Youth Centre.

Haileybury Youth Centre

Kanizah Khan, Zahra Halim and Hannah Hussein informed Members why they got involved with the Haileybury Youth Centre, the types of activities they had undertaken and the benefits of socialising and mixing with other young people.

Points to note from the presentation:

·         Girls encouraged by friends and family to join the Youth Club

·         Has helped improve their confidence  and allows them to be smart with their time

·         Have taken part in experiences, they would never have done. For example, the ADSAN Leadership course and a residential trip to Wales.

·         One day a week is allocated to girls, with approximately 10 attendees.

·         They recommend the Youth Club should be promoted in schools and to parents and there should be a balance of activities for both boys and girls to get involved in.

In response to questions from Members the following was noted:

·         Some of the girls had joined the Youth Club after hearing about it at a summer fayre. They believed the promotion of the Youth Club in schools and to parents would encourage more girls to attend.

·         The girls expressed their gratitude for the Youth Club and said it provided a great opportunity to experience new activities and have something to do with their time in the holidays.

·         In response to if social media would be an appropriate tool to advertise the activities of the youth club, the girls who were of a younger age bracket 11 -14 years, said their preference would be face to face engagement. Youth workers should attend schools and convince parents of the benefits of the Youth Club.

·         The girls said they had developed good relationships with their youth workers. They felt confident in discussing problems they had with their youth worker, who provided them with support and advice.

The Chair, thanked the girls from Haileybury Youth Centre for their presentation.

Spotlight Youth Centre

Cadidjatu Jalo, Ayesha Rafiqul, Leia Wasike-Ginn and Charlie Davis from Spotlight Youth Club gave a presentation on their experiences of being part of a Youth Club and how it had opened doors to activities they would otherwise never have considered.

Points to note from the Presentation:

·         Spotlight Youth Centre had provided them with opportunities to pursue their interests such as music, politics and debating, the environment as well as arts and crafts.

·         They had learnt new skills and had taken part in sports which they may not have tried before, such as boxing. They had been involved in community projects to feed the homeless.

·         The girls said breaking down gender stereotypes was crucial in order to make the Youth Club welcoming for girls. They said it was important to change the mind-sets and behaviours of young people and also parents. Youth Clubs were safe places for young people to engage and grow as citizens of their community.

In response  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4