New services to provide targeted support to young people in Bristol are set to launch in June with new contracts being announced today.

The new services will focus nearly £9m of funding over three years on providing a range of support for young people between the ages of 11 and 19.

Three contracts have been awarded to Creative Youth Network to provide targeted support for vulnerable young people in the North, East & Central and South Bristol. These contracts will focus mainly on young people who need support to manage a range of social, health and education/skills needs.

 

Councillor Helen Godwin, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said:

Providing support for Bristol’s vulnerable young people remains an important part of the council’s changing role in the city. Despite reductions in funding as a result of cuts in central government support we have developed a new service that will see around £3m per year invested in supporting those who need it most.

Sandy Hore-Ruthven, CEO of Creative Youth Network said: 

We are really pleased to be awarded these contracts. The new targeted youth services will allow us to build on our existing work with young people and help them reach their potential. Our service includes work with many local organisations that will help us to reach young people from all communities in our city. This will include services for young people not in education, employment or training, support with mental and physical health and help with managing relationships and behaviours. We hope to help approximately 3,700 young people a year across the city with this new service.

  

Councillor Godwin added:

These new services will put a focus on identifying and supporting those in the most deprived areas of the city and encourage the sector to grow and become more sustainable. The providers taking on these contracts have been tasked with doing whatever they can to ensure those young people have the best chance possible to fulfil their potential. Although this new service will only represent a small fraction of the good work being undertaken by voluntary groups, sports clubs and other, they will have a significant impact on those young people they serve.

I look forward to working with these providers and thank all those who have been part of this process for their support and participation in developing this new service.

 

Working in partnership

Creative Youth Network will be working with and sub contracting to a range of other local providers to ensure the service reaches the whole community and young people have the bespoke support they need. Our partners include Bristol Drugs Project, Young Bristol, Youth Moves, Full Circle, Babassa, Horn Youth Concern, Bread Youth Project, Southmead Development Trust, Empire Fighting Chance, ACE (Aspiration Creation Elevation).

Creative Youth Network builds supportive relationships with young people from all backgrounds across the South West to help them reach their own potential and live fulfilling lives.

In our safe and creative environments across Bristol and South Gloucester, we provide social and emotional support, opportunities for creative expression, and access to alternative education, training and employment. Our work helps young people to find their own voices and change their world for the better.

 

Quartet Community Foundation

In a new approach the council has also set aside funding to provide small grants to other organisations and individuals who work with young people. The contract to manage this fund has been awarded to Quartet Community Foundation who have been tasked with using this funding to generate further investment in the sector. This will develop a wide range of support and activities for children and young people in Bristol.

Sue Turner, Chief Executive Quartet Community Foundation, said:

For thirty years we’ve been supporting youth organisations across the city and we look forward to supporting many more through this new fund over the coming years.

Quartet Community Foundation is an independent charity, working across the West of England (Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire) to support local philanthropists in their charitable giving. Quartet gives out £2.8 million in grants each year to support people facing disadvantage in our local communities and give as many people as possible the chance to fulfil their potential.

Quartet works with local philanthropists to give around a thousand grants a year, supporting the complex network of organisations providing services and projects for communities across the region.

Anyone who is concerned about the wellbeing or safety of a child, should call First Response on 0117 903 6444 in working hours, the police on 101 out-of-hours or, if you think there is immediate danger to someone, 999.

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