East Suffolk Council
Local news
4YP want to hear directly from young people about what you want in the county. 4YP are meeting (26 September, in-person 14 Lower Brook Street IP4 1AP) with MAKE architects to design the perfect youth hub space. Young people will be welcomed to hear what is being discussed, have their say and ask questions. It will be an open conversation to share ideas. 4YP have three different slot times:
- 1pm: 18-25 year olds
- 3.15pm: 11-18 year olds
- 4pm: 7-11 year olds
They are able to reimburse bus and train tickets if the young person can provide a receipt. They can also write a letter to school/college if you need to get out of class early.
They will provide snacks, drinks and fun and engaging activities. Get in touch with sinead.lambe@syphp.org.uk to book your space. If you can’t make it please feel free to share your ideas by emailing them over to Sinead.
28 October 2022
On 28 October, a free half term event is running for young people at Halesworth Skate Park. Food. Skate. Ball is a drop-in taking place on 28 October; 1pm-4pm. Providers will be there doing skateboarding demonstrations and other activities. There is also a free burger (veggie options available too!) for all young people that attend!
22 August 2022
Kesgrave Teenage Hangout pop up café
Calling all 12-16 year olds in the Kesgrave area! Kesgrave Community and Conference Centre are running their Teenage Hangout pop up café on Wednesday 24 August from 12pm until 2pm. They've got a variety of different games to play including table tennis and table football. It's a great place to chill out, listen to music, have a drink, catch up with friends and maybe make some new ones! Sweets and cakes from their tuck shop are £1 and crisps are 50p.
10 August 2022
Time together Tuesdays at the Kesgrave War Memorial Community Centre
Recently young people at Kesgrave High School told us loud and clear that they wanted more welcoming spaces to meet their friends, especially during the summer holidays. The Kesgrave War Memorial Community Centre are now offering just that! Every Tuesday in August, come along with your friends for a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, with a different theme each week!
19 July 2022
Calling for views from the Woodbridge Community Partnership area
Please put forward your views as part of the East Suffolk Rural Youth Project. It only takes 5 minutes to complete and your contributions are very useful.
9 May 2022
Opportunity for autistic young people
About the Youth Network
This network is a space for autistic young people, between the ages of 16-25 to meet other autistic young people, take on new paid opportunities and join one of our group panels. The network is a fun and friendly space for autistic young people to be themselves.
15 March 2022
The Youth Advisory Board for Mental Health are welcoming new members
The Youth Advisory Board (YAB) meets on the last Tuesday of every month, 5-6pm, via Microsoft Teams.
The YAB feeds directly into the Children and Young People (CYP) Mental Health and Wellbeing Steering Group and has a direct influence on the development of children’s mental health services.
If any young people would like to find out more please contact Everett Odonoghue at Everett.Odonoghue@suffolk.gov.uk
14 March 2022
Green Light Trust - Young Futures (18-35)
Green Light Trust have recently received funding to run a Young Futures Earth Mental Health course at Castan Woods, Martlesham from 22 April to the 10 June 2022.
The Young Futures programme works in a person-centred, holistic way, using nature to engage individuals in activities within our woodlands. Activities are arranged to suit each individual's capabilities and interests; helping individuals overcome any barriers they have to learning, skills-building, personal development and accessing employment. Sessions are delivered 1 day per week and activities will be facilitated by 2 experienced delivery staff.
The course is suitable for participants who are 18-35 years old who are NEET or struggling with life progression due to mental health or other barriers. The course is designed to:
- reduce isolation and anxiety
- improve mental and physical wellbeing
- increase confidence and self-esteem
- give a sense of structure and belonging
- improve social and communication skills
- engage people with the natural environment
- instil renewed purpose
- teach new life skills and practical skills including woodland management, green woodwork and bushcraft skills
A free cooked campfire lunch is included in the day.
Book your space directly from the Green Light Trust website
We expect places to go very quickly as we are limiting group sizes to 8 participants. However, more courses will be added over the coming weeks/months, so any participants who have been registered and placed on the reserve list, will automatically be offered a place on the next suitable course.
If you have any questions, please get in touch by emailing PECsupport@greenlighttrust.org
7 February 2022
Youth Parliament Election Month is here!
If you are a school council, school, college or youth group, here is what you need to do to enable your young people to take part:
- Show this 15 minute YouTube video - Youth Parliament Elections 2022 video - YouTube
- Vote - Our election example will help you decide how you want to do this
- Count the results - Election results tally template
- Email your results to jess.walker@suffolk.gov.uk by 28 February 2022.
- Results will be announced on 10 March
If you have any problem accessing YouTube please contact Jess for the PowerPoint version.
3 February 2022
Help design Healthwatch survey
Since 2017, Healthwatch Suffolk have gathered over 38,000 responses from young people in the county, to the ‘My Health, Our Future’ research project. The report has successfully influenced mental health education and support across Suffolk.
In 2022, working with secondary schools and colleges, Healthwatch Suffolk will ask young people in the county aged 11-19 about their mental health and wellbeing again.
But first, we need your help to make sure the survey includes the things that matter to you! We are asking young people in the same age range as the survey (11-19) to give us their thoughts on the questionnaire, to make sure we’re asking the right questions.
Giving us your feedback on the survey is a great chance to make sure schools, colleges and the local NHS hear what is important to you about mental health and wellbeing.
We’ve designed a web-page for you to give us your ideas directly and anonymously in a format that you choose.
All the information that you need is available at https://healthwatchsuffolk.co.uk/mhofsurveyfeedback
We will launch the survey after the February half term, so we will need your ideas before 11 February.
18 January 2022
February 2022 Make Your Mark and UK Youth Parliament elections
For the first time ever, both Make your Mark and UK Youth Parliament elections are running at the same time.
Make Your Mark is an annual consultation of 11-18 year olds across the UK. It aims to give young people the chance to have their say on what matters to them and will go onto influence hundreds of youth-led campaigns across the country.
UK Youth Parliament provides opportunities for 11-18 year olds to use their elected voice to bring about social change through meaningful representation and campaigning.
It is important that all young people get the chance to vote, to have their voice heard so please share this with your networks of young people. 11-18 year olds are eligible to vote in Make Your Mark online here from 1 - 28 February 2022.
Campaign video clips of Suffolk Youth Parliament candidates will be emailed to schools/youth groups etc during the first week of February. Please watch these with your networks of young people and encourage them to vote for their preferred candidate and send voting results to jess.walker@suffolk.gov.uk. Voting is live from 1 - 28 February 2022.
To find out more, head to the Make your Mark and UK Youth Parliament webpages or get in touch with jess.walker@suffolk.gov.uk
17 January 2022
Yojo is back!
The Engagement Hub has been working hard on the redesign of this apprenticeships app since 2020 and are now pleased to announce that it is available for download. The Yojo app has been designed by young people for young people, putting the world of work in their pockets. Improved for all devices, Yojo is an apprenticeships app, created to link young people in Suffolk with vacancies, advice and organisational partners. The app includes: live vacancies a CV builder, an interview practice quiz and personalised recommendations of career paths based on interests.
Want to know how it works? We have put together a walk through for parents, teachers and other adults.
Download Yojo from the App Store | Download Yojo from the Google Play Store
Follow Yojo on Instagram | Follow Yojo on Facebook
Find out more from yojoapp.co.uk
We would love your help promoting the app countywide, so we have provided social media assets and post ideas at Dropbox.
12 January 2022
One Life Kids - Heaps of fun
FREE One Life Kids Clubs are starting again!
13 December 2021
Sharing news from Isiah Jordan at Outreach youth...
"I have set up a youth project for LGBT young people of colour to access under Outreach Youth. The project is called SOUL which stands for Strength, Opportunity, Unity and Learning. I am in the process of arranging a Community Conversations event for LGBT young people of colour, to speak about any issues that they may have. I want to find out more about what LGBT young people of colour need or if there is anything they are struggling with. I am aiming to reduce isolation by bringing together LGBT young people of colour up to the age of 18 and hopefully seeing themselves represented in a group setting, encouraging them to feel better about themselves and safer. The event will happen on 15 January 2022 - face to face or over Zoom, depending on COVID at the time. I am inviting young people for a conversation about the project, get to know everyone, have some food and informal conversations. Anyone who would like to know more about the SOUL project, and/or would like to join in with the get together event in January, are very welcome to contact me via text or email: isiah.jordan@outreachyouth.org.uk Tel. 07902 955611”
Isiah Jordan (he/him), LGBT*Q+ Youth Worker, Outreach Youth.
9 December 2021
'Vaxi Taxi'
Suffolk County Council can provide a taxi for eligible children aged 12 to 15 years olds to attend their COVID-19 vaccination.
Transport will be from the child’s home to the nearest vaccination centre and back again.
7 December 2021
Children and Young People's Mental Health Charter
Children and Young People have worked together to create a Charter for Mental Health Services.
This charter sets out clear priorities and shines a light on the aspects of mental health services that are most important to children and young people. They are looking for feedback on the charter from young people in Waveney and Norfolk.
- Draft Children and Young People's Mental Health Charter
- Online Mental Health Charter feedback survey
4 November 2021
Artwork for young people, by young people
Are you a keen artist or photographer? Maybe you would like to try something new?
Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust are seeking artwork which captures positive wellbeing and inspires mental health recovery.
26 October 2021
My Health, our Future
The Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust are holing a session in partnership with Healthwatch Suffolk around young peoples mental health. My Health, Our Future is a yearly survey that gathers the views of more than 30,000 young people aged 11-25. Join the online session on the 8 November 4-5 pm to hear about the impact the survey has had so far.
21 October 2021
Community Action Suffolk’s first Youth Focus conference is set to run on Wednesday 17 November from 2-5pm on Zoom
The theme is Rural Youth Work and the session is subsidised and therefore free to attend.
The event is aimed at anyone working or volunteering with young people in Suffolk, as well as community groups and town and parish councils who are interested in developing their youth offer or would like to know more about issues affecting young people.
There will be talks from the National Youth Agency, Kooth Wellbeing, and the Criminal Exploitation hub, as well as Suffolk based youth organisations on a range of subjects including; setting up a rural youth project, detached youth work, engagement and diversity. There will be time for a workshop at the end, on rural action planning and networking.
21 October 2021
The Princes Trust has released to courses aimed at young people’s personal development
Explore is designed to build confidence and communication skills, handle personal finances, and look after one's mental health. Including six months of support to help find and apply for jobs. The first session is on 26 October, however a young person can be referred at any time.
Get Ready is a short 3-day course which also covers CV writing skills, financial support, and interview techniques. It is essentially a condensed version to of Explore and as such is aimed at those who would require less assistance and 1 to 1 support. The application deadline for this course is 26 of October.
Both courses are available for young people aged 16-30 who are not currently in full time education, employment or training.
18 October 2021
UK Youth Parliament Elections 2022
The UKYP is run by young people aged 11 to 18 years old, with a passion to change the world for the better. It is not about being political or a top student, it is to represent the views of other young people in Suffolk, on issues that matter on a local and national level.
More information and how to get involved...
13 October 2021
Eating disorder support
A new programme for young people in Suffolk
Aged 16-25 and struggling with an eating disorder?
If you live in Suffolk and are looking to tackle recovery head on, this one’s for you.
More details...
27 October 2020
The Source is a website where young people can go for advice and support on a range of topics, including education, health and finance. They also advertise a range of youth groups and clubs located in Suffolk.
20 June 2019
Kesgrave Underpass
Following a number of recommendations from students and young people, the Kesgrave Underpass was improved.
Suffolk Highways came to the underpass and fixed the drains which had been causing flooding.
LED lights were also installed along the length of the underpass to make it feel like a more open and safe space.
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