The Acting Head of Service, Lindsay Davidson, presented the report of the Service’s recent activities and drew the Committee’s attention to the following:

a)  Jenny Lloyd has retired after working with the Service for over 30 years;

b)  Charles Gilroy will be retiring at the end of March 2010

c)  The Play point initiative is continuing at Eastham Youth Club on a Tuesday evening;

d)  Cavendish Youth Club is proving to very popular with young people since its recent refurbishments;

e)  As part of diversionary activities for Mischief Night the outreach teams organised a football tournament at the soccer dome;

f)  Young people from Wallasey Young People’s project put up Christmas decoration and sang carols at a residential home for older people;

g)  The Seven Kings group have been attending badminton sessions at Grange Road West sports centre;

h)  Greasby Youth Club has offered young people workshops on firework safety;

i)  Leasowe Youth Club has been supporting Arena Housing to design a logo for youth friendly organisations on the estate;

j)  Wirral Youth Theatre is supporting a group of young men who are looking at performance opportunities for break-dance;

k)  The Youth Theatre’s ‘Fame Factor’ performance is occurring at Pacific Road this week;

l)  The Theatre’s massive project will coincide with and assist in the launch of the Youth Hubs in April;

m)  Response’s housing advice team is delivery information, advice and guidance sessions in youth clubs as part of the successful bid to the District Activity Fund;

n)  The Tier 3 substance misuse team have been engaging with a particularly hard to reach group of young men to access then to appropriate support services;

o)  30 young people will shortly receive their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award from Prince Phillip at St James’ Palace;

p)  The Belvidere Centre hosted a four course Christmas meal for 40 young people and members of the management committee;

q)  The Play Council has bee successful in gaining an Aiming High grant for continuity of the special needs play scheme;

r)  The Community Play Rangers are holding indoor winter activity programmes and will return to outdoor sessions at Easter;

s)  The Lottery funded Play for All Coordinator is now in post;

t)  A management programme for frontline managers within Integrated Youth Support services is now underway;

u)  A Councillor shadowing programme will commence in May, in Wirral initially 12 young people will shadow elected members for 25 hours over a 1-6 week period;

v)  The 2010 UKYP elections are underway and sound bites from candidates’ can be found on the internet;

w)  The reconfiguration of the Youth Service is underway with staff relocations commencing.  The four Youth Hubs will launch in April.

There was some debate about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the reasons for an apparent greater number of young people proceeding to Gold. 

Resolved

i)  That Dave Decorte be invited to the next meeting to discuss the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award; and

ii)  That the Head of service be thanked for her report.