Halifax Courier

New youth club is launched to help boost children's confidence

- Sarah Fitton sarah.fitton@nationalwo­rld.com @TodmordenN­ews1

A new youth club is being started in part of Halifax offering support and skills and confidence-building sessions for younger people.

Newground Together - a charity which is part of the Together Housing Group - is branching out to provide the club in Ovenden every Friday from 3.30pm to 5.30pm, for children who are in the school years four to seven.

Weekly sessions were already being run by the charity for children aged 13 to 19, aiming to provide a safe space for them to meet with friends and offer hands-on support with challenges they may be facing.

But the organisati­on quickly recognised an urgent need to widen that provisiona­l support to those in younger age groups.

After receiving funding by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Newground

Together has welcomed younger people into its Ovenden Junior Youth Club for the first time this month.

Newground Together currently hold six clubs across Calderdale, including senior youth clubs in Rastrick, Mixenden, Pellon and Ovenden for and another junior youth club in Pellon.

They also deliver streetbase­d youth work in Brighouse and Elland.

Every session aims to empower young people in their decision making and confidence through team building games, informal education activities, person led support and building self-esteem.

Sam Harrison, youth work programme co-ordinator for Newground Together, said: “Young People have been telling us for months they need somewhere safe to go, meet their friends, learn new things, and have someone to talk to if they need.

"Youth club activities will be shaped by young people whilst youth workers will open up new opportunit­ies that support their personal and social developmen­t.

"An exciting element of this project is offering training for young leaders to support the junior youth club, giving them the tools to one day becoming youth workers of the future.”

To find out more about Newground Together, or to speak to one of the teams about the youth clubs on offer, visit https://www.newgroundt­ogether.co.uk or email hello@newground. co.uk

 ?? ?? Some of the team who are running the new youth club
Some of the team who are running the new youth club

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