Published at 11:07, Thursday, 14 June 2012

TACKLING anti-social behaviour by providing activities for youngsters is the aim of a new ‘Friday night project’.

Launch time for THE Friday Night PROJECT: Organisers are pictured outside Whitehaven Civic Hall for the launch of the project

A selection of activities including zumba, archery and football will now be available for youngsters across Copeland on Friday nights.

It has been made possible thanks to a partnership of youth organisations which have secured £50,000 of funding from Copeland Community Fund. The money will support existing Friday night activities over the next 46 weeks and create new ones.

Mike Priestley, from Inspira (formerly Connexions), said: “All the partners have signed up to provide some really attractive open sessions offering the sort of things young people have told us they want. We want to offer some really positive alternatives to some of the other temptations and to help reduce the incidents of anti-social behaviour.

“Police partners tell us Friday nights have the highest incidents of youth nuisance and misbehaviour and this is where we are concentrating this new resource.”

The project was officially launched at Whitehaven Civic Hall on Tuesday.

Organisations involved are: Inspira, Young Cumbria, Distington Club for Young people, Whitehaven Harbour Youth Project, North Copeland Youth Partnership, Phoenix Youth Project, Action for Children Millom and Shackles off.

North Country Leisure, Copeland Borough Council and Copeland Community Fund are also involved.

Coun Elaine Woodburn, chair of the Copeland Community Fund and leader of Copeland Council said: “The fund has supported this project as a result of the evident need to provide further activity for young people on Friday nights and reduce anti-social behaviour. The fund over the last year has aimed to improve partnership working and encourage collaborative projects by setting up a partnership of youth providers in the area called Youthwork Copeland.”

She added: “The partnership has worked really well to develop this fantastic project which will provide comprehensive Friday night activities. Youthwork Copeland will also continue to work together in the future on more exciting projects and funding bids.”

The project will be managed overall by Inspira and was developed by Youthwork Copeland. The partnership was set up last year by Rachel Kendrick, development worker for the Copeland Community Fund and Emma Dickinson, youth engagement officer for Copeland. It comprises of 11 partners.

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk