Respect in North West Leicestershire 2012-13

District’s young people celebrated at Respect Awards

Four youth projects in North West Leicestershire have been rewarded for making a positive contribution to their community.

The young people, who have been involved in each project, attended the District’s sixth annual Respect Awards, which were sponsored by, and held at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Thursday 11^th April 2013.

The Respect Awards are organised by the Safer North West Leicestershire Partnership and provide funding for community projects that encourage young people across the District to take an active and positive role in their society, promoting respect and building bridges between different generations and community groups.  

Councillor Trevor Pendleton, Chair of the Safer North West Partnership said, “All too often we hear people associating young people with anti-social behaviour but in North West Leicestershire there is positive work being done by young people to bring local communities together.  The young people who are working on these Respect projects show real commitment and determination in improving their communities for everyone.  

“We also often don’t say thank you enough to our young people for the positive work they do. The Respect Challenge Awards are all about making sure this positive effort is celebrated.” 

The awards ceremony will be a chance to reward the young people from these projects for the positive contribution they have made and to showcase their good work.

Chief Insp Mark Thomson of North West Leicestershire local policing unit, which has a population of 88,000 people, said, “It’s great to hear that our District’s young people have achieved so much by working with other people in their communities to make a difference.”

The Respect awards forms part of the Council’s partnership with the County Council, Leicestershire Police, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue, The Probation Service, housing services among others.  This partnership approach aims to reduce crime and disorder in the District.

The 4 projects recognised at the Respect Awards ceremony were as follows:

• Friends of Sharpley Park
• Oakthorpe Youth Club
• Snibston Youth
• Positive Futures - Allotments for Youth

Friends of Sharpley Park

This project created a group of local residents and young people who use or live near Sharpley Park in Coalville. The park has in the past been associated with anti-social behaviour, littering and a negative perception of the young people who use it. The project aimed to build bridges between local people, and maintain the park so that it can be enjoyed by all who use it.

Supported by partners including the Police and District Council, the project kicked off in October 2012 with a community event entitled ‘Love Your Park’.  Over 20 local families attended the event, over 1500 daffodil bulbs were planted and nine people signed up as ‘volunteer litter pickers’. There was a real sense of community spirit and the event was hailed a huge success.

A follow-up event is planned in May to maintain the momentum. Since this project was launched there has been a vast improvement in community relations and a significant reduction in anti-social behaviour complaints about the park to the council.

Positive Futures - Allotments for Youth

Positive Futures acquired funding to take on and maintain an allotment at the new Greenhill Community Allotments.  The Positive Futures project works towards reducing anti-social behaviour through diversionary activities.  The aim of this project is to promote respect between young people as they work together as a team with a shared focus, and to build better links with local residents.

The young people have spent time preparing the allotment ready for spring planting.  They have built and put up a fence, planted spring bulbs, cleared weeds and created a path around the edge of their plot.  They have also purchased and organised their own gardening equipment.  Future plans include sessions on healthy eating and how to cook their produce, and they are looking to start a food parcel service for families in need.

This project has given young people a focus and encouraged them to take a positive and active role in their community.  It is a new experience for all and they have already started to build relationships with other allotment owners so that they can learn from their expertise.  This is a long-term project which will benefit many more young people in years to come.

Snibston Youth

Snibston Youth is an inspirational group of young people aged 14-19 years who aim to reduce anti-social behaviour in and around Snibston Country Park.  Every Monday evening they meet to take part in environmental, educational and personal development activities.  Rangers and environmental volunteers have taught them a whole variety of skills such as fence repairing, tree planting and creating nature trails, which mean that they are able maintain the park to a high standard and attract more visitors.

The Respect funding has enabled new members to join the group and has also been used to launch an apprentice scheme to train a young person as a group leader.  Valuable links have been built with the local community and families have been brought together through specific planned activities.  Conflict with other park users has reduced, as well as reports of vandalism and deliberate fire.

Now an established project which is attracting private sector funding, the young people have big plans for the future and should be commended for their personal achievements.

Oakthorpe Youth Club

Oakthorpe Youth Club joined up with youth clubs from neighbouring villages to create an ‘art project’.  The aim of the project was to build links with the local community and businesses, and open the door for future joint projects. 

The young people spent time researching an artist and creating their own paintings, they made a collage which reflected their individuality, and undertook photography and art lessons.  They then organised an auction for their art collections, including making props and organising food and drink.  The auction was a huge success and raised an excellent amount of money which will help to secure the future survival of the youth clubs.

The youth clubs are important and valuable institutions within rural communities, providing young people with opportunities to build self confidence and thrive as individuals.  Since the opening of the village youth clubs, anti-social behaviour has been reduced and this project has instilled a sense of pride and belonging amongst the young people.

For advice and further information please contact the Community Safety Team on 01530 454490.