Young Westminster Foundation’s Summer Programme is now live!
Summer 2020 felt a long way off when we went into lockdown in mid-March. The change of seasons has felt very different to previous years. The covid-19 crisis has had a major impact on all our lives and organisations. Young lives have been disrupted at crucial stages of education and transition. In response, youth organisations in Westminster have proved agile and resilient, adapting to new ways of working and social distancing.
Part of our work at YWF is listening to our community and undertaking research into the needs and experiences of young people to inform our work. We have held regular locality-based cluster meetings with Westminster youth workers in addition to hosting bi-weekly focus groups with a cross-section of Members as part of our needs analysis project.
The research we’ve undertaken over recent weeks has re-emphasised the role of Westminster’s youth workers and organisations in providing vital life-lines for young people and their families. The safe spaces, inspirational activities and trusted support provided by YWF Members will be more critical this summer than ever before.
We will continue to collaborate with partners across the borough, including working with Everyone Active to maximise outdoor activities and street play. St Andrew’s Youth Club will be making use of a closure of Old Pye Street for one week and Avenues Youth Project will be using Droop St. YWF is continuing to seek further investment and funding to expand provision and opportunities for Westminster’s young people.
This document provides a snapshot of the offer for children and young people in Westminster this summer. From online basketball to cookery to adventure playgrounds there are opportunities available across the borough. Please do share with your networks and young people. We recognise that it has been a struggle to work through government guidance to re-open and that plans are still emerging and changing. Therefore we will update the document weekly. So do watch out for updates and extra opportunities throughout the summer.
