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Children and Young People’s Minister Dawn Primarolo is today calling on all local authorities to let young people know about all the fun activities and places for them to go to in their area.

 

Research published today reveals that young people see organised activities as a good thing but are held back from taking part because they don’t know what is on offer to them. The Government has invested £900 million between 2008 to 2011 in positive activities and places for young people to go to – and in order for young people to benefit from them local areas need to let them know what is available.

 

The research also reveals other reasons preventing young people getting involved in activities. These include:
• Young people see organised activities as something reserved only for the very sporty or talented kids;
• Peer group pressure - teenagers prioritise friends and leisure time over taking part in activities and are often put off if their friends don’t take part;
• Low self confidence and lack of self belief in their ability to take part.

 

Parents interviewed as part of the research say they support positive activities but struggle to encourage their children to take part due to lack of information. They want activities that provide their children with a safe place to hang out with their friends, where they can enjoy themselves as well as learning new skills. However, they are also concerned about the cost of the activities which is why most areas offer free or subsidised activities.

 

The feedback from young people and parents published today shows that investment in the new £270 million ground breaking myplace youth centres is money well spent. Young people have played a central role in deciding which projects to fund, the type of activities that are on offer and the times they are available, as well as helping to design the free world class facilities.

 

Dawn Primarolo said:

 

“The summer holidays are a key time for councils to publicise and communicate to young people all the activities on offer for them. We know that word of mouth is so important in getting the message out so it’s vital that youth centre opening times and free activities are advertised to young people, parents, teachers, and the community.

 

“The research published today supports all the work Government is doing in this area, listening to young people and providing the exciting opportunities they have asked for. It is evident that we are on the right track but we can do more to support local authorities in delivering activities. We will be holding road show events throughout the year encouraging and supporting local authorities to use new and innovative ways to communicate to young people. A number of local authorities already do this successfully communicating to young people via twitter, and through schools, youth clubs, leaflets and word of mouth.

 

“Young people want to take part in modern and exciting activities like music recording and street dance but they also want somewhere they can just hang out with their friends on a Friday and Saturday night. Parents can also feel reassured that many of the new myplace youth centres will have cafes and chill out areas for young people, who may not always want to take part in an activities, but just want somewhere to hang out in the evenings and at weekends.

 

“Young people have access to thousands of free activities in the evenings, at weekends and in their holidays thanks to the £900 million we have put into positive activities from 2008 to 2011. Last month we held a celebratory weekend, as part of our ‘Open campaign’, showcasing all the free activities on offer to young people across the country particularly on Friday and Saturday nights. I want councils to build on this and continue to get the message out to young people about the activities open to them at the times they want them.”

 

Nearly 70 per cent of young people already participate in positive activities but the Government wants to increase this to 100 per cent to help all young people build friendships and social skills and achieve more at school and college. Participating in positive activities will also help to prevent them from getting involved in risky or anti-social behaviour.

Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to 'England'
1. Positive Activities: Qualitative research with young people can be found at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR141.pdf and Positive Activities: Qualitative Research with parents can be found at http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR142.pdf

 

2. Aiming High, the Government’s Ten Year Youth Strategy, seeks to help all young people, but particularly those from poorer areas, to take part in enjoyable and purposeful activities in their free time which can help them develop new skills and raise their aspirations. Positive activities include a wide range of activities including sports, creative activities such as dance, drama & music, volunteering, engagement in the local community, outward bound activity, and youth centres.

 

3. Since April 2003, the Positive Activities for Young People programme (PAYP) has provided targeted developmental activities for 8-19 year olds at risk of social exclusion and community crime. Young people can participate in activities during the school holidays and access out of school activities throughout the year. Those most at risk can engage in learning and/or employment with key worker support.

 

4. £13.5 million is available to local authorities to publicise the positive activities in their areas. In addition, we are working to improve the information that parents receive on local opportunities and activities for their children.

 

5. £272 million has been invested in myplace youth centres as part of the overall £900 million investment in Aiming High.

 

6. The Tellus 3 Survey found that 69.5 per cent of young people participated in positive activities.

Contact Details
Public Enquiries 0870 000 2288, info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk