We want to buy a Youth Shelter which can seat up to 50 youths every night. It will keep local young people dry we work with dry, diverted from harm, provided with hot and cold snacks and some young people out of trouble. Sadly, many of the 200 Youths that come to our outdoor Project every week are badly affected by Child Poverty. This means that many kids come to us cold, hungry, and without adequate warm waterproof clothing.
Description
Local Priority: Urban improvements incorporating environmental seating and shelters
The DISC Target Project is the largest and longest running Evening Diversionary Project in the City of Dundee . It has been running for 23 years . It runs 50 weeks per year , 2-3 evenings per week , and attracts more than 200 Young People though its doors every week. It provides Young people aged 11-19,with a safe , healthy , free and inclusive Diversion activities from Risk taking behaviour , and specifically targets the City's most vulnerable Groups most affected by child poverty . It pro actively targets LAC young people , young carers , young people who don't attend school, young people involved in ASB , unaccompanied child Asylum seekers or refugees or who are experiencing Trauma and mental health problems . Over 70% of the young people attending live within the City's most poverty effected streets and areas.
The Project is run outside late at night and provides free food , warm blankets , football boots and warm clothing as a direct response to the food and heat poverty that these kids are experiencing . However they are open to the elements and are often cold , wet unable to stay dry whilst receiving support.
OUR PROPOSAL -is that we buy a covered seated enclosure where young people can access our provision all year round but stay warm and dry whilst provided with support , food , warmth and vital support .This will keep our most vulnerable young people safely Diverted with benefits to the whole community .
The seated enclosure will be available to all DISC service users 7 days per week (e.g. parents , Morgan pupils during PE lessons and all clubs accessing their local sports centre , thus improving community life and facilities for all .
Expected Outcomes:
• Increase and improve participants lives accessing learning opportunities facilitated and managed by by Dundee City Council CLD Youth Work (CLD Disc Target Project).
• Decrease anti-social behaviour incidents in the community.
• Increase number of individuals and groups accessing facilities at DISC.
• Improve local Maryfield facilities available for sport and recreation.
The outcomes will contribute to the local priority of Improvements to outdoor play and recreation incorporating parks, green spaces and school playgrounds.
The contributing factors will be improvement to the number of individuals accessing sport and recreation learning opportunities facilitated by Leisure & Culture and Dundee City Youth Work provision. This will have a positive influence on the strategic priorities outlined in the City Plan for Dundee 2022-32. With young people being able to access quality sport facilities with no cost helps REDUCE child poverty and inequalities in incomes, education & health.
In the last 6 months , over 250 local young people were consulted in a number of occasions about what would make their community better and what could improve areas of their life . Many of the young people consulted came from areas most effected by poverty. Access to warmth was important especially in winter months and their access to food at nights was also apriority . Almost all of the young people consulted said that the access to the DISC Target Project was very important to them but because it was outdoors they were cold and wet from the rain and elements. Often they only had one warm jacket which if wet would have to be worn to school the next day . THE SHELTER that we are proposing will seat 50 and will include an area where we can provide warm snacks , shelter and vital support and Diversion from harm.
There has been widespread support from the local community for this improvement in local facilities. It is an example of partners ,local people and service providers coming together to identify potential improvements , but a commitment given to managing , maximising use and maintaining this new facility which has anti poverty outcomes as its core outcomes.
When it rains, they do not have warm clothing to allow them to take part and often go home cold and hungry. This Youth Shelter would help us reduce the effects of poverty for many local young people,
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