Youth Cafe...

An exciting development to the facilities of Lowe House will be a Youth Café. This will provide a meeting place for young people which is safe, friendly and responds to the needs of young people. This exciting initiative will be good for young people and beneficial to the local area.

A range of activities will take place at the café. It will provide training and support people with learning difficulties to gain experience in a busy working environment.

A Youth Café committee will be set up comprising of 6-8 young people to influence the services and activities the café will provide. Young people will be given responsibility with the assistance of youth workers to create and put in place the vision for the café.

Young people can experience low levels of self esteem and confidence, have problems and home and at school that can result in anti-social behaviour, drug taking, alcohol abuse and the stereotype of young people ‘hanging about on street corners.’ The Youth Café will be an initiative to try and have a positive effect in the lives of real young people.

During the day it will be open for school groups to use. A Team of young volunteers will work with group of between 30-40 young people 11-17 on workshops on topics which will include, global awareness, citizenship, self esteem, personal development, choices, conflict and reconciliation. The team of volunteers have received accredited training to work in peer to peer work and take part in a gap year programme. They themselves are role models to the young people that they work with. They will work with groups through presentations, drama. music, visual arts, debate and small group discussion.

The Youth Café will have a range of after school activities. There will be a ‘learning zone’ for informal education to take place and people available to offer advice and counsel on matters related to the lives of young people, to sign post them to relevant agencies and support groups.  At night it will be used for local bands to practice and will be available for partner organisations to run their activities and services from.

The most important aspect of the café is that it is friendly, inexpensive, relaxed, fun and a place which identifies the real needs of young people by listening and responding to their views. Not forgetting good food and non-alcoholic drinks.