Engaging Young People and our Community

Streetwise is a detached youth work project which is aimed at engaging young people on the streets and in parks. Now in our fifth year, we are still growing and developing and operate in each of the four wards of Sutton Coldfield, and Stockland Green in Erdington.

Our team of ten workers deliver 17 shifts each week. Our aim is to build relationships, and through this, to divert young people away from negative and potentially anti-social behaviour, discussing issues important to them and identifying and involving them in activities that are meaningful to them.

Over the year, we have had over 2000 hours of face-to-face contact time with young people on the streets. In this time, we have almost 4000 recorded contacts with young people, with many recorded positive outcomes to match our aims and objectives: which include signposting, talking about the dangers of smoking, drug and alcohol abuse, sexual health awareness, participation in the community and spirituality. We also provide many diversionary activities for young people.

Highlights:

YMCA Sleep Easy event - over 30 young people were sponsored to sleep outside in cardboard boxes, to raise awareness of youth homelessness and fundraise £3500.
2 young people visited Children In Need and BBC Centre in London look at how grants are being used across the country and to evaluate success. The young people benefitted from a lesson in filming and made their own video record of the day.
Many diversionary trips, including 10 days of Postive Activities for Young People: Drayton Manor, Ice Skating, Ackers, Woodlands Camp, Teamworks Go-Karting, Quad biking, Rock-climbing, Kayaking, Jimmy Spices, Birmingham German Christmas Market and many others, in total engaging over 200 young people.
Streetwise young people have volunteered to litter pick and clear gardens in a Community Clean-up, run activities at our Town Centre Play event, with our KKats group, and also to become volunteer detached workers with Streetwise.


"It is beyond doubt that Streetwise have impacted positiely to the reduction of anti-social behaviour, and although difficult to measure, their positive impact on the wellbeing of innumerable individuals will be immense".
Mary Kennedy - Constituency Support Officer, January 2010.

"For several years, [Streetwise] have brought their professional and personal touch to the problems we experience on some of our streets in Sutton, dealing with young people who have many problems. Encouraging them to finish their education and to integrate in the community are just part of their brief and they have certainly made an impact into some of the areas in my ward.".
Councillor Margaret Waddington, Novenber 2009.


Contact: Heidi Bentley - Project manager, Tel: 0121 354 5614

Enquiries: [ HERE ]

Sutton Coldfield YMCA
George Williams House, Watson Close, St Bernard's Road, Sutton Coldfield,
West Midlands   B72 1LE, England
  0044 (0)121 354 5614 - or -   0044 (0)121 321 1582
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Updated January 6th, 2012 Published by: Lichfield Web Design