28/01/04 - Independent Evaluation of Allerdale Services to Young People

This week, Cumbria County Council’s Local Committee for Allerdale received an independent evaluation of its 2001-4 Services to Young Peoples’ programme.

During the summer, Allerdale Local Committee commissioned St.Martin’s College in Lancaster to undertake an independent review of the Committee’s programme of support and grant aid to the Allerdale voluntary youth sector organisations and community groups.  Members were pleased to hear of the positive assessment of the programme, especially the emphasis on partnership working with other bodies, such as with the Workington Regeneration ‘Youthastic’ project; the ’Young Firefighter’s project based at Workington Fire Station; joint working with the Connexions Service, and the linking up of voluntary youth groups through the Allerdale Youth Network.

The Committee heard that, over the last three years, the Local Committee’s grants programme had distributed over £377,000 through over 165 grants to community based groups working with young people across Allerdale.

Councillor Barbara Cannon, Chair of the Local Committee says,

“Allerdale Local Committee was very far sighted when we set up this programme three years ago. We established a unique approach to support voluntary youth groups across the Allerdale area, including a small staff team to get out and about in the area to support local groups, and help them to access development and grant aid.  I’m especially pleased that the evaluation team picked up on our approach to partnership working, particularly mentioning the good work carried out by the ‘Youthtastic’ project and the Workington based Young Firefighters Scheme.

Most of all I wish to give tribute to the unsung heroes. There is a vibrant network of voluntary youth provision across Allerdale. These groups are almost entirely dependent on the goodwill and tireless commitment of many volunteers who give up many hours to run clubs and activities that benefit our young people in the towns and villages across Allerdale.”

Allerdale Local Committee members agreed to circulate the evaluation report across the Allerdale Youth Network, and to the County Council Cabinet.  Members remitted further work to establish the next action plan, to its youth Policy Panel.