Burnsall Road, Rastrick, West Yorkshire HD6 3JT

Tel: 01484 401037

Registered Charity No: 1082346

Rastrick Youth Forum believes in the importance of young people, their self-fulfilment and the role they play in the regeneration of areas where they live, are educated and play.

OBJECTIVES

To advance the education of young people between the ages of 9 and 21 years of age in the Rastrick and Brighouse area and to provide recreational and leisure time facilities in the interest of social welfare, so as to develop their social and personal skills so that they may grow to full maturity as responsible adults and so that they are better able to identify their needs and participate more fully in society.

To develop projects that are committed to young people participating and taking active roles in management and decision making policies.

To provide opportunities and training, which will allow young people to actively develop community action initiatives by fostering self-help and voluntary work

ACTIVITIES

The Trustees and Management Committee met monthly throughout the year, monitoring the progress of the youth work programme, ensuring as much appropriate usage of the premises, monitoring expenditure, and planning/approving funding applications.

Background

The idea of the Youth Forum started from consultation with young people in the Rastrick area in 1997. They highlighted the need for a project that allowed young people's views, ideas and needs in relation to drug prevention to be voiced in a positive way. Initial activities were Rastrick SportZone (October 1997) and The Café (November 1997). The Area Health Authority and Calderdale Community Foundation provided funding for these activities.

The Youth Forum registered with the Charity Commission in 2001, after the award of a large three-year grant from the National Lottery Charity Board. This enabled the Management Committee to install premises, to appoint a full time manager and to develop the youth work programme.

Additional funding was secured between 2001 and 2004 to appoint further staff and to ensure a broad programme which has responded to the needs of local young people promoting their active participation in an empowered way through the Volunteering Programme, Youth Action Projects, Café development, SportZone and Getaway groups.

The Forum has worked in partnership, or association, with a wide and numerous range of other organisations in order to deliver services for the young people of Rastrick and their local community.

Contacts

Dave Cooper, Chair of Trustees & Management Committee, hmcooper@supanet.com

Cllr Paul Rogan, Deputy Chair. paul@rastrick.org.uk

Lee Turner,