A community organisation for local youths which was started by Life Church and Wilmslow United Reformed Church, working together with Wilmslow High School, has celebrated its first anniversary this week.
Wilmslow Youth was created to support and empower young people in Wilmslow by providing opportunities, support, and pastoral care. Over the past year a variety of activities and services have been on offer to young people, including one to one mentoring at school, lunch clubs, street BBQs, sports evenings and youth clubs.
The work has grown significantly over the past year, and funding from an Cheshire East Public Heath grant enabled them to employ a second youth worker, Gemma Tuson, to join their existing youth worker, Matt Williamson.
Matt and Gemma have worked closely with young people from across all school year groups to involve them in the process of shaping Wilmslow Youth, and every activity has been suggested by the young people themselves.
One example of this is the redevelopment of part of the United Reformed Church building, called the Undercroft. Over the past year students have given ideas about how that space could be developed for their use, and have offered suggestions on the design of the space as well as the activities that could run there. As a result, the Undercroft will offer a range of activities including an after-school café, youth social evenings, and mentoring appointments when it opens in the new school year.
Wilmslow Youth has been working in close partnership with Wilmslow High School throughout the year.
Assistant Headteacher, Mark Vincent, commented "Wilmslow Youth is an exciting student and community focused venture that Matt and Gemma have taken from a simple idea and turned into something that offers young people real support and opportunities. Many of our students have already benefited from the various inputs in the school day; the ambitious and forward thinking development of the United Reformed Church Undercroft space will extend these inputs to young people outside the school day, as well as provide a safe place to spend free time."
For more information, visit www.wilmslowyouth.com.
