Youth hub on wheels visits Arran
A recently revamped mobile youth centre arrived on Arran this week.
The North Ayrshire Council youth hub on wheels is offering a host of activities for young people aged 12 to 25 years without them having to travel far from home as part of this year’s free summer youth festival.
Backing for the upgrade of the van came from a youth work education recovery fund.
Set-up by the council’s community learning and development team, the mobile centre is now in its 13th year. It was established to provide youngsters with a friendly and familiar space for community collaboration and inspiration.
Visiting six locations, including the Arran Youth Foundations cabin in Lamlash on Monday, the 7.5 tonne truck was custom built to deliver a host of summer activities including arts and crafts, a mobile climbing wall, dance sessions, games days, employability support, mental health and wellbeing, gaming and a food hub.
Donna Anderson, youth participation and democracy officer for North Ayrshire Council, said: ‘With most of us staying home this summer, our youth and community workers have been busy planning sessions for young people to beat the boredom of the holidays.
‘Having the mobile youth hub back on the road is perfect timing as it will be making an appearance at each of our Connected Communities Youth Festival events this summer, in partnership with Active Schools and KA Leisure.
‘We have lots of activities on offer and anyone who wants to find out more about the festival and enjoy a busy summer should sign up online via the @nayouthservices Facebook page.’
The hub also provides volunteering opportunities and a safe space for socialising, learning and accessing key services.
Rhona Arthur, head of connected communities, said: ‘The launch of the mobile youth centre is another step forward to ensure young people in North Ayrshire remain connected during these challenging times.
‘Building on the recently launched Young People’s Participation and Citizenship Strategy, it is a brilliant way of going to where young people are to hear their views and experiences as we enjoy activities together.
‘Giving us the unique ability to reach wider audiences, the state-of-the-art youth hub on wheels helps our youth workers deliver meaningful activities and provide young people with a sense of escapism after a year when so many young people missed out. Our dedicated connected communities team members are set to hit the ground running with this fantastic community space, which will ensure our young people are kept motivated and supported as lockdown continues to ease and we hope they will enjoy getting involved in our exciting activities, without having to travel too far.’