Provide children and young people with more places to go and things to do
You can read the summary below, or access the full versions in the right-hand column.
What will be different in one year’s time?
What actions are planned over the next year?
Why does this matter?
- How children and young people spend their leisure time really matters. Taking part in constructive leisure time activities helps children and young people to achieve better outcomes in all sorts of ways
- For example, leisure activities help children and young people to build their social and communication skills and self-confidence and help them to achieve more at school. They are less likely to take risks such as experimenting with drugs or being involved in anti-social behaviour or crime, contributing to safer and more cohesive communities
- While most children and young people are thriving, we know that children and young people from poorer backgrounds often do less well. This is partly because they find it harder to get to places or to afford leisure activities
- We want all children and young people in Nottinghamshire to have access to a wide range of places to go and things to do in their leisure time, so that they can all achieve their potential.
Where are we now?
What the local data tells us about Nottinghamshire
- 63% of young people participate in positive leisure time activities led by adults, against a national average of 62%
- 49% of young people in Nottinghamshire think that the range of leisure time opportunities for them is good. This matches the national average.
What children, young people or families tell us
- Numerous consultations show children want play days and the chance to play out with their friends. Parents are strongly supportive of play, too
- Young people would like more places to go in their leisure time and more things to do, including youth clubs
- Young people are concerned that they may not know what activities are available to them
- Young people are concerned that sometimes they cannot go to activities because of cost or because they do not have access to transport
- Parents want to see more places to go and things to do for young people. They think this will help young people move successfully into adulthood and become part of their community.
What will be different in one year’s time?
- There will be more high quality community play schemes. More children will attend these play schemes and more children across Nottinghamshire will have had access to positive play experiences
- More young people will take up opportunities for positive activities. This will include young people who are vulnerable or at risk of harm
- There will be better access to positive activities for young people
- Young people will be less involved in anti-social nuisance behaviour in current 'hotspot' areas.
What actions are planned over the next year?
- Develop five new community play schemes and support thirty existing community play schemes
- Provide four positive play projects and develop seven play areas in places where there is an identified need
- Provide opportunities for 300 disabled children to access holiday play provision in their local community and deliver six play days for 5,000 children
- Map and publicise current positive activity provision for young people
- Explore how we can overcome issues of cost and access to transport to positive activities for young people
- Manage the Youth Opportunities Fund and Youth Capital Fund to improve the range of places to go and things to do for young people
- Deliver targeted positive opportunities for young people in identified nuisance behaviour hotspot areas (areas where nuisance behaviour is much worse than the average for Nottinghamshire)
- Publish the Nottinghamshire 'Youth Offer' which will provide things to do
- Build and open new Young People’s Centres in Eastwood and Worksop
- Begin building a new £6.5m Young People’s Centre in Mansfield
- Continue to develop the Arts Support Service, the Learning Outside the Classroom Service, the Schools' Swimming Service and the PE and Sport Service.
How will we measure impact?
For young people:
NI 110 - The number of young people taking part in positive activities will increase (Tellus survey)
For children:
- Feedback from schools, communities and parents. They will report improvements in children's behaviour and learning following positive play experiences and parents and volunteers will be more confident in their ability to provide positive play opportunities for children.
Contact Information
Lead Partnership Group:
Nottinghamshire Integrated Youth Support and Development Board
Strategic Lead:
Rob Skelton
Service Director Inclusion and Engagement Division,
Nottinghamshire County Council Children and Young People’s Services
For more information about this work is being developed, contact:
Derek Higton
Head of Youth Support Service
John Thorn
Head of Early Years and Childcare
John Auty
Head of Initiatives and Opportunities
All Nottinghamshire County Council Children and Young People’s Services, who can be contacted on tel: 0115 982 3823.
