Plymouth youth charity Barefoot is working hard to engage young people in an area of the city that has been experiencing anti-social behaviour.
Barefoot is building a youth provision in St Budeaux and Kings Tamerton that aims to give young people aged between 10 and 19 opportunities and support that will divert them from ASB.
Barefoot’s director Richard Marsh said:
“We started building our youth provision in the area in mid 2019, but the pandemic and lockdowns blew a big hole in the middle of it. However, since autumn 2020 we’ve been able to offer a continuous weekly presence and have now established two groups – one younger, one older – with outdoor activities and an indoor drop-in as well as trips and support services.”
The outdoor activities include weekly sessions run by Plymouth Parkour CIC in Kit Hill Park thanks to a successful application by Barefoot to Babcocks, a Proceeds of Crime award secured by PC Helen Blackler and support from Plymouth City Council Youth Service.
Film maker Dominic Finnan is also videoing the regular Tuesday sessions for Barefoot so the public and partners will be able to see for themselves how activity can change young people’s outlook.
Barefoot’s lead youth worker Jon Dingle said:
“The police and City Youth Service, who we work closely with in this area, both recommended Plymouth Parkour, and Maciej and Karel have really drawn in large numbers of young people. This has enabled us to get to know them and start building the relationships and trust that are central to youth work.
“Thanks to St Budeaux Community Centre we are also able to provide indoor open access sessions on the same night where young people can chill, socialise and share any issues or worries with our youth work team.”
Barefoot has also been instrumental in bringing Plymouth Argyle’s Premier League Kicks project into St Budeaux, giving young people another outdoor activity for the summer months, that, like Parkour, can continue well into the Autumn. The first Friday session in July attracted over 45 young people. The charity has also been busy organising trips to get young people out of the area, with them always making the decision on where they go.
Carly Brown-Martin, Barefoot’s senior youth support worker said:
“Our younger group wanted to visit Crealy Adventure Park and had a great trip in June and I’m currently organising our first paintballing activity. Taking young people away from their area really helps us to build relationships and is also beneficial for their mental health after all the lockdowns and Covid restrictions.”
Leading up to being able to offer activities and indoor sessions Barefoot continued with its detached work on the streets on Fridays, which was all the team were allowed to do during the most recent lockdowns.
Like all Barefoot’s work, this is open access, so young people decide if they want to engage with the workers and for how long. Knowing the youth team will be there next week and the week after and has no agenda except to help is crucially important and helps builds that all important trust.
Jon Dingle added:
“In both Ernesettle and Whitleigh, where we also work, Barefoot started providing youth provision when levels of anti-social behaviour was very high and young people’s trust in adults was very low. Now our young people in Ernesettle organise community events and play an active part in improving where they live.
In Whitleigh members of the youth group are currently running their own multi-generational diversity project, taking local adults to London next weekend to meet young people from a very diverse youth group in Ealing.”
“Don’t get the idea youth work is easy. It takes skill, patience and passion. One vital aspect of Barefoot’s work in St Budeaux and elsewhere is supporting young people through a whole range of issues and crises, including sexual health and bereavement and educating them about the pitfalls of alcohol and substance abuse.”
Richard Marsh added:
“Our youth workers, Jon, Carly, Becky and Kalum and our volunteers just want to do their best for the young people in this area. Despite the problems at the moment, and we don’t want to minimise the impact of ASB on local residents and traders, young people aren’t a problem, they are young people, who are learning to navigate their way into adulthood. Just like everybody else, sometimes they need and deserve a helping hand.”
