Flintshire Youth Forum
Mission statement
Gaining confidence to tackle issues, voice opinions, whilst making friends and having fun. You want it we got it!
“Coming together to make a difference.”
What we’ve done.
• We have organised Youth Conferences in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and another for March 2009. All the issues raised were taken to the Flintshire Young People’s Partnership, so they could do something about them.
• We go on residentials to plan the conferences and discuss issues raised by other young people in the community.
• We have made a DVD to promote Extending Entitlement - keep an eye out for it.
• We attend the Young People’s Partnership meetings to help get young people’s voices heard and to make changes.
• We work on lots of different projects using music, drama, arts and crafts. Anything that is fun and productive!
• We have full representation on Funky Dragon.
• We address issues that affect us as young people with the people and organisations who make decisions. These include the police, the Youth Service, the Education department, leisure services and many more.
• We run mini consultations with other young people in Flintshire through the Youth Clubs.
• We go out and have lots of fun – Pizza, ice-skating, Plas Teg.
What we got up to in 2008!
Environmental Projects!
As a group we have be raising awareness of environmental issues around Flintshire - but in a fun way!!! From dressing up as trees to taking part in a Fair Trade parades. If it’s fun, we’ll do it!
Environmental Fashion show!
The FYF began a major project to show recycling in a different light! We proved to people that recycling can be fun and that it works!!
We planned a ‘Second Chance Fashion Show’. Each of us was given a small budget that could only be spent in the local charity shops! The idea was to buy one outfit each that we would actually want to wear! With the amount we were given, we found we could buy much more than just a top or a skirt. We ended up with books, jewellery, belts, and even shoes.
As well as having a great day around the charity shops a local recycling company, Dee Tex donated clothes to us, including hundreds of pairs of jeans a shoes. We customised the clothes to our own personal taste and styles, adding bits here, taking bits away there. We even died a few to change the colour!
After all the customising, we then put it all together and held a fashion night in December! Everyone who came was really impressed with our hard work and bargains we had found. We even managed to sell a lot of clothes we’d bought - including a brand new pair of Ted Baker jeans for just £1!....YES a £1!!!!!
So from doing this we really have changed people’s opinion about recycling clothes, go on give it ago, you’ll love it!!
“I was really shocked at first when I heard we were going to be buying in charity shops....I always thought is was for old woman, but actually it was great! I ended up buying a dress I wanted from a high street shop but for a just a £1!!” Eli.
“There was a good turn-out and there were some amazing cat-walks. It’s just amazing what you can buy from a charity shop” Pete.
“We all felt good that we had made brilliant outfits from nothing” Callum
The fashion Show idea and all the other environmental projects will carry on throughout 2009! If you have any idea’s you would like to put forward please feel free to do so!
The Christmas Trip!!!! (aka The Spooky Trip!)
Following in the footsteps of Girls Aloud and Most Haunted, our Christmas trip this year took us to Plas Teg Historic House just outside Mold! We must add this was via Pizza Hut - just to make sure we had full stomachs for the scary trip ahead!
It was a fantastic afternoon - full of scares and laughter - we did meet a real mummified rat! We all agree it was one of our best trips yet!!
“It was scary, but it was really fun. It was an amazing trip” Amy
“It was a memorable, yet scary experience. I had an amazing time, but hoped something mega mega exciting would happen” Leroy
What we’re doing next!
• We will carry on with Theatre Forum, we are planning to start going ‘out on tour’ with our music, drama and fashion show!
• The Youth Conference - The next youth conference is on March 21st at the Welsh College of Horticulture in Northop. Please come along, its a great day and a really fun way to have your voice heard on the things that are important to you! There’ll be free food, workshops and fun activities throughout the day, not to mention the famous goodie bags!! All young people between 11 - 25 are welcome, crèche provided!
Download poster
• We are planning a residential to look at all of the information we collect at the conference. We will then take all of the issues to the Young People’s Partnership meeting in July.
• Forest Project! - during February, Save The Family are planning to create a musical arts and crafts village, full of magical stories and forest crafts! Watch this space and we’ll let you know more!!!
If you are interested in the work we have been doing and want to find out more, contact us or come along to see for yourself.
The Flintshire Youth Forum meet on Mondays, at the Glanrafon Centre, Mold, 7-9pm. For more information contact Ali on 01352 771232 or email alison.jane.thomas@flintshire.gov.uk