Oswestry Youth Cafe runs successful alcohol awareness project
Oswestry Youth Cafe, a partner in the Oswestry Community Alcohol Partnership (Os-CAP), led by Shropshire Council’s Trading Standards Service, has been running a project to tackle underage drinking and alcohol-related anti-social behaviour.
Through the Os-CAP, money from Oswestry’s Community Safety Partnership was directed towards funding the first phase of the Oswestry Youth Cafe (OYC) project during August and September 2011.
The OYC outreach youth workers met up with 25 to 35 young people on the streets of Oswestry on a weekly basis, and the youth cafe itself drew in a further 15 to 20 young people on a Saturday evening.
The cafe has provided young people with a safe and alcohol-free environment to enjoy their Saturday evenings, and has provided an informal setting to discuss the dangers associated with underage drinking, the illegality of proxy purchasing, levels of alcohol consumption, and the effects of anti-social behaviour in the Oswestry community.
The Oswestry branch of Sainsbury’s supermarket donated food for the cafe’s healthy lifestyles programme, where young people were encouraged to make healthy lifestyle and healthy eating choices, with staff available to support young people with information about alcohol.
Ian Wilson, Oswestry Youth Cafe’s project leader, said:
“We really believe this project has been a success. Liz Jones and the cafe team have reported that young people have appreciated the cafe being open on Saturday evenings. Our detached team, headed up by Ian Jones and Geoff Moore, have built up good relationships with young people on the streets and have engaged in a number of joint walkabouts with the local Community Support Officers from West Mercia Police.
“From October to December the numbers of young people aged 15 to 19 attending the cafe rose to over 30 on a Saturday evening, and when the contact numbers on the street dropped, we used this time to meet local publicans, park wardens, young people’s housing projects and local residents, even bumping into Santa and his helpers in December.”
Mr Wilson added:
“Further much-needed support for the project was received from the Local Joint Committee, which donated £1,000. That was used to fund cold weather clothing, equipment such as torches, first aid kits and staff training, which has been invaluable in equipping and resourcing the project. I’d also like to thank our many volunteers because without them the project would not be able to run.”
The second phase of the project is running from January to April 2012 and is being funded by West Mercia Police, through a donation of £1,800 and a further £1,000 from Oswestry’s Community Safety Partnership.
OYC is now looking for funding to widen the brief of the project to include both drugs and alcohol beyond this April and into 2013.
Frances Darling, trading standards manager for Shropshire Council and Chair of Os-CAP, said:
“The OYC project is only one part of the Os-CAP toolkit that has been developed since May 2011 to tackle the underage drinking that occurs in Oswestry. We are delighted with the success of the project and the funding that has been made available. What is important though is that we secure long-term funding for the project and would encourage any organisations or individuals who feel they can offer support, either financially, or in kind to contact Ian Wilson at the OYC on 01691 656559.”
Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for trading standards, said:
“The effects on the Oswestry community of alcohol-related anti-social behaviour and that of the health and well-being of young people cannot be underestimated. It’s fantastic that the OYC project has been so successful in supporting and educating young people to make the right choices for the community they live in and for their own health and well-being.”
The alcohol awareness project is one of a number of projects run by OYC which are targeted particularly towards the very important transitional age range of 15 to 19 year olds.
Local Shropshire Councillors Vince Hunt, Martin Bennett, Bill Benyon and Keith Barrow, added:
“We strongly support the work of the Os-CAP and are delighted with the progress being made.”
For more information about Oswestry Youth Cafe, contact The Oswestry Youth Cafe, Queens Buildings, Oswalds Road, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 1RB. Tel: 01691 656559 email youthcafe@hotmail.co.uk
Further information on Community Alcohol Partnerships is at http://www.wsta.co.uk/cap.html
