Youth Cafe- Wick

[rfr10]

Is it possible to make this thread sticky please.

If a strong interest is shown in a project to set up and run a Youth/ Internet Cafe in Wick, I along with others will apply for a grant from the Big Lottery Fund to do this if we gain support from you. Please express your interest in the project here.

We will also be looking for people over the age of 13 (including adults) to help set up and run the cafe. If you think you may be able to do so, please contact me ASAP. The project may take a year or more to complete if plans go well.

Any ideas for what a Youth Cafe should involve would be appreciated. For the grant application to be accepted, there must be involvement of young people in it. The more young people involved the more likely the grant is to be accepted. Although the final decision is made by the BLF's National Committee, the Young People's Panel makes a recommendation.

If you are a parent and you think your son/ daughter may be interested in this type of project, please let them know. Questionnaires will be distributed in the near future to get an idea of young peoples' views on this project

Thanks.

[connieb19]

Isnt there already a youth cafe where the video shop used to be? :confused

[rfr10]

Isnt there already a youth cafe where the video shop used to be? :confused

Isn't that where they planned to start one up years ago but it never did happen.

[Bill Fernie]

Not trying to put a damper on anyone trying to do things but I would suggest you consider the follwing regarding the Internet and a Youth Cafe that potential funder will ask if you have considered.

what other facilties like this are already in the town or are proposed.

In Wick for example there is already -
Wick Youth Club with four Internet terminals available to Youth and public.
Internet Access available at Wick Library Free of charge.
Internet access available at former video shop as posted earlier.

In addition the Community centre that obtained planning permission on Monday this week has many aspects ofr young people inlcuding internet access as well as many other facilties and will cost over £2million. If this seems a huge project - it is and has been in the process of development by Pulteneytown People's Project for almost two years. Several funding applications have been prepared by the group under the leadership of councillor Katrina MacNab as she is also the full time paid manger of the project. The full details can be seen in the planning application at http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/9B7098C8-20CE-4EEF-929B-06199340B1E4/0/c_p_155_06.pdf
I and my fellow councillors granted planning permission for this project on Monday

One of their main funders is the lottery. If a big grant is made to them for the purpose above it is unlikely another grant will be made to the same town for very simlar project or part of.

You need to make list of all of the existing facilties in the area and then look to see what is missing and whether or not their is demand for further facilities and if they would be sustainable. Funders will not give grants nowadays unless you have a very hard case to make including where you will get the running costs from. Capital is much easier to obtain than running costs. In the case of the PPP community centre they have worked hard to get their running costs worked out with several funding streams being likely to be available to pay the overheads, wages etc.

Certainly you can reduce some costs if volunteers are willing to take on some of the running of the Youth cafe. However I would advise that I have looked into Youth cafes and been at seminars where they have been discussed and heard presentations from for exanmple the peple who ran the Youth Cafe in Fort William a few years ago. It we well funded by the Rank Foundation but after few years when the grants ran out it folded. It is very time consuming to run a cafe that is open even 5 days or nights a week. Young people at school may not be big spenders and therfor profits might not contribute a lot to running costs and you might even make losses. The only way to decide this is to be hard and realistic when creating your business plan.

In order to obtain funding you will need as you are doing to gather support from the wider community and then form a charitable group to apply for the funding. But some form of local fund raising is also going to be necessary as very few trusts etc will give much money to groups that have not set about raising some funds through their own efforts. This is additional work for any volunteers in the group but it will show funders that you are all determined to get something done. As I say PPP are now two years into their project and PPP itself is older than that.

You may also have to consider other businesses in the town as you will be competing to some extent with cafes etc that already offer a service.

You might go and speak to Katrina MacNab and ask what aspects of the PPP project would overlap with your own ideas. She will be very helpful in giving you information that might save you a lot of work.

If you get a group formed and then have your ideas formulated that you want to pursue there are sveral useful places to get advice - For example Naill Smith at Caithness Voluntary Group in Telford Street is an expert on creatig constitutions for new groups that will be accepted by the authorities that you will require to register with. CVG can also provide lots of suggestions on funders - you may need to apply to several and not just one as they often will only give part of the funding. Matched funding is very common these days but makes the work of acquiring it much harder as you need to talk to more than one source for the money and fill in more forms etc.

You also have to be tenacious and keep going as many of these things take long time but you can get there iif you have the stamina and support behind you. It may be that if your goal is to provide more for young people to do that you will find a compeltely different idea emerges once you get going.

I would be more than willling to give any help I can or point you in directions for funding, more advice or make suggestions etc once you have your group formed.

Let me know how you get on and if you decide to have meeting of the people you get involved.

Good Luck with doing something for the area.

[rfr10]

Not trying to put a damper on anyone trying to do things but I would suggest you consider the follwing regarding the Internet and a Youth Cafe that potential funder will ask if you have considered.

what other facilties like this are already in the town or are proposed.

In Wick for example there is already -
Wick Youth Club with four Internet terminals available to Youth and public.
Internet Access available at Wick Library Free of charge.
Internet access available at former video shop as posted earlier.

In addition the Community centre that obtained planning permission on Monday this week has many aspects ofr young people inlcuding internet access as well as many other facilties and will cost over £2million. If this seems a huge project - it is and has been in the process of development by Pulteneytown People's Project for almost two years. Several funding applications have been prepared by the group under the leadership of councillor Katrina MacNab as she is also the full time paid manger of the project. The full details can be seen in the planning application at http://www.highland.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/9B7098C8-20CE-4EEF-929B-06199340B1E4/0/c_p_155_06.pdf
I and my fellow councillors granted planning permission for this project on Monday

One of their main funders is the lottery. If a big grant is made to them for the purpose above it is unlikely another grant will be made to the same town for very simlar project or part of.

You need to make list of all of the existing facilties in the area and then look to see what is missing and whether or not their is demand for further facilities and if they would be sustainable. Funders will not give grants nowadays unless you have a very hard case to make including where you will get the running costs from. Capital is much easier to obtain than running costs. In the case of the PPP community centre they have worked hard to get their running costs worked out with several funding streams being likely to be available to pay the overheads, wages etc.

Certainly you can reduce some costs if volunteers are willing to take on some of the running of the Youth cafe. However I would advise that I have looked into Youth cafes and been at seminars where they have been discussed and heard presentations from for exanmple the peple who ran the Youth Cafe in Fort William a few years ago. It we well funded by the Rank Foundation but after few years when the grants ran out it folded. It is very time consuming to run a cafe that is open even 5 days or nights a week. Young people at school may not be big spenders and therfor profits might not contribute a lot to running costs and you might even make losses. The only way to decide this is to be hard and realistic when creating your business plan.

In order to obtain funding you will need as you are doing to gather support from the wider community and then form a charitable group to apply for the funding. But some form of local fund raising is also going to be necessary as very few trusts etc will give much money to groups that have not set about raising some funds through their own efforts. This is additional work for any volunteers in the group but it will show funders that you are all determined to get something done. As I say PPP are now two years into their project and PPP itself is older than that.

You may also have to consider other businesses in the town as you will be competing to some extent with cafes etc that already offer a service.

You might go and speak to Katrina MacNab and ask what aspects of the PPP project would overlap with your own ideas. She will be very helpful in giving you information that might save you a lot of work.

If you get a group formed and then have your ideas formulated that you want to pursue there are sveral useful places to get advice - For example Naill Smith at Caithness Voluntary Group in Telford Street is an expert on creatig constitutions for new groups that will be accepted by the authorities that you will require to register with. CVG can also provide lots of suggestions on funders - you may need to apply to several and not just one as they often will only give part of the funding. Matched funding is very common these days but makes the work of acquiring it much harder as you need to talk to more than one source for the money and fill in more forms etc.

You also have to be tenacious and keep going as many of these things take long time but you can get there iif you have the stamina and support behind you. It may be that if your goal is to provide more for young people to do that you will find a compeltely different idea emerges once you get going.

I would be more than willling to give any help I can or point you in directions for funding, more advice or make suggestions etc once you have your group formed.

Let me know how you get on and if you decide to have meeting of the people you get involved.

Good Luck with doing something for the area.

Thanks for that. Didn't think about all that. Is there anything that people would like to see in Wick that isn't already there (or Thurso) or anywhere else in Caithness? I know I previously asked this last year but can I get some suggestions again please as a Youth Cafe was a popular suggestion. Being part of the Big Lottery Fund, YP Panel, I hoped that this would help us in Caithness to improve the Community for Young People.

Thanks

[rfr10]

Some suggestions which were given on the Questionnaire which I distributed last year to Young People were:
Music Rooms/ Club - The Youth Club in Wick provides this service therefore this is no longer needed.
Skate Park - The Grizzly Park in Wick now provides this service.
More Sports Clubs/ Improve existing. - Is this a possible idea?

One of the most popular suggestion is to open a place for Young People to shelter for example, As the Youth Club does this, they would like a place that is open longer hours and every day including holidays, weekends and evenings.

CHEAPER ACTIVITIES- They would like to see cheaper (preferably free) activities.

I'm not sure about the Thurso area. I know that they have an Internet/ Computer Cafe, Skate Park, Youth Club which a few people say "Needs to be improved and modernised"

[rfr10]

(http://www.piczo.com/whssdb?g=19978014&cr=4)http://p4.piczo.com/img/i107175103_32701_4.gif (http://www.piczo.com/whssdb?g=19978014&cr=4)

This is a copy of the notes of presentation made up last year by young people in the Caithness Area. A few of the suggestions already exist in Caithness. Particular interest was shown in numbers 5, 6 and 7.

[orkneylass]

the only people that know what the young people of wick want are the young people of wick - is anyone consulting them???

[rfr10]

the only people that know what the young people of wick want are the young people of wick - is anyone consulting them???

Yes, they will be contacted through schools.

[Pepsi]

:Razz Music Rooms/ Club - The Youth Club in Wick provides this service therefore this is no longer needed.
Skate Park - The Grizzly Park in Wick now provides this service.
More Sports Clubs/ Improve existing. - Is this a possible idea?

One of the most popular suggestion is to open a place for Young People to shelter for example, As the Youth Club does this, they would like a place that is open longer hours and every day including holidays, weekends and evenings.

CHEAPER ACTIVITIES- They would like to see cheaper (preferably free) activities.

PPP have received funding for activities and working with small groups of young people from any area to build up their confidence and allow them to learn new skills. This has included activities that lead to Duke of Edinburgh, skate board sessions and Girls groups that have visited places of interest to them in the county had talks from people like Bill Fernie and Careers etc. There is a trip for young people to Orkney it costs £5 and includes all transport and meals. They are going to the new skate park in Orkney and their leisure centre. Anyone interested should phone 606950 to book places.

PPP have also recieved funding from UKAEA, Highland Council and various charities to upgrade the Rosebank. £11,000 was spent upgrading the bowling green and the contractors are due to start on the tennis courts on the 17th July. They are making them two tennis courts with seperate gates and the third will have a different surface and be able to be used for 5 a side, netball etc as well as tennis. This is costing £62,000. The next phase will be to do something with the crazy golf.

[rfr10]

PPP have also recieved funding from UKAEA, Highland Council and various charities to upgrade the Rosebank. £11,000 was spent upgrading the bowling green and the contractors are due to start on the tennis courts on the 17th July. They are making them two tennis courts with seperate gates and the third will have a different surface and be able to be used for 5 a side, netball etc as well as tennis. This is costing £62,000. The next phase will be to do something with the crazy golf.

That's good then, was always wandering when they were going to start on the Tennis courts.

[Bill Fernie]

I know there is a wish for a track to ride the mini bikes that are seen in several partsof Wick from time to time. The places they are currently using may not be available for much longer and finding a suitable place for them to be run would be very helpful. I did ask previously if people were interested in getting something going on that score but no one got in touch.

Allof the same things i mentioned above would apply in respectof creating new group. If you want to pursue thatone Robin it wouldbe very helpful and as these bikes are increasoing in number might be well used ....until the next fad.

[rfr10]

I know there is a wish for a track to ride the mini bikes that are seen in several partsof Wick from time to time. The places they are currently using may not be available for much longer and finding a suitable place for them to be run would be very helpful. I did ask previously if people were interested in getting something going on that score but no one got in touch.

Allof the same things i mentioned above would apply in respectof creating new group. If you want to pursue thatone Robin it wouldbe very helpful and as these bikes are increasoing in number might be well used ....until the next fad.

Good idea. I'll survey some people about it first of all. The only problem is that I'm not sure it meets all the local requirements for the Big Lottery Fund but I'll check and see. Do you have any ideas of a suitable site for the bikes?

[Bill Fernie]

A difficult one. I know the bikes were usinghte Caithness Glass foctory site but once that starts to be developed it will cease to be available. The site at Battery Road where the bikes are also being used will also be developed for housing andg and that will also be unavailable unless they leave any ground near to it.

I think it would have to be near the edge of town or not too far out to make it reasonble for people to get to. An approach to farmers or land owners might be worth trying.

The other thing to remember is that these bikes can be very annoying to many people as they have a high roar and being subjected to that hour after hour is it is too close to housing can only lead to complaints.

But they do look great fun for the young folk and kids using them and subject to some safety and training could be a great source of enjoyment and possibly get folk used to driving safely long before they go out on the roads.

Why not take cycle round the town and jut outside and then just go and ask who owns the land. Maybe someone might allow use of it for a peppercorn rent. I cannot think of any land that the council owns at the moment that woudl be suitable but if you ask at the council offices in the Market Square they will put you to the correct person. Mr Gunn in the planning office in High street may be able to point you in the right direction.

I there is likely to be a growing interest from young folk in these bikes then getting a track properly set up and in the right place might save lots of complaints and make the whole thing more amenable to all concerned. Keep me posted on how your enquiries get on.

[rfr10]

I shall try that. What costs would need to be paid for by the Lottery Fund? The land, making it suitable for riding bikes on, what else?