do somethin' news archive

07/06/2010 13:13:07

Bolton Lads and Girls Club Win Queen's Award

Bolton Lads and Girls Club have won the 2010 Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in recognition of the work their staff and volunteer mentors carry out as part of their successful Mentoring Project. Their Mentoring Project sees young people receive one-to-one and group support from responsible adult role models, who volunteer their services.

The prestigious Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the highest award given to volunteer groups across the UK for outstanding work done in local communities. Winners of the award receive a certificate signed by the Queen and a domed glass crystal. The Lord Lieutenant from the local county will present the certificate and the crystal to winning volunteer groups. Representatives from Bolton Lads and Girls Club were also invited to attend a Royal Garden Party this summer in Buckingham Palace.

Chief Executive of Bolton Lads and Girls Club, Karen Edwards said: "We are delighted to accept this award and to receive such high recognition of our work with young people in Bolton. The Mentoring Project reaches out to the young people who are most in need of positive role models and helps to guide them to a brighter future. We accept this on behalf of all of the staff, volunteers and young members of Bolton Lads and Girls Club."

Clubs for Young People would like to congratulate all involved in what is a fantastic achievement.



For more information on Bolton Lads and Girls Club’s mentoring project please call 01204 540111.

03/06/2010 15:19:04

Gillette Cup Final 2010

Durham CYP have beaten Northumberland CYP 1-0 to win the Clubs for Young People Gillette Cup Final 2010.

The final took place at on Sunday 9th May 2010 at Meadow Lane the home of Notts County Football Club. The Gillette Cup Final is the conclusion of our national 11-a-side football tournament which began with local round robin tournaments in October with the winners progressing through various knock out stages before reaching the final.

The final is a prestigious event and everything from the standard of the venue, to the presentation banquet following the match, is designed to make the day as memorable as possible for the young people involved.
The two teams had previously played in the round robin stage where Durham had won the match 3-0. Alan Watson of Durham Association of Clubs for Young People, said that a repeat score line was unlikely as the Northumberland team had tightened up at the back since the first game.

The pre-match prediction by Alan proved to be correct as in the opening minutes it was clear that defences were on top. Although Durham had the better of the opening ten minutes, in terms of possession, the Northumberland back four were clearly well drilled and it took 12 minutes before one of the goals was remotely threatened, a long throw from Northumberland took the Durham back four by surprise and Jonny Forrest got a good header on target only to be thwarted by Stocker in the Durham goal.

The defences continued to dominate the game and it wasn’t until the 20th minute that Durham got their first chance of the match with a header from Richardson just going wide of Browns far post.

Although the teams were evenly matched the Durham team held slight advantage of possession of the ball in the first 35 minutes of the game. However a well executed Cruyff turn by Laffey and subsequent cross under pressure saw the start of a 5 minute spell that saw Northumberland threaten Durham’s goal twice before the half time break. The first chance fell to Curkham but his header was straight at Stoker, the second saw a bit of well earned luck fall to the Durham keeper as Stoker saved the first header from Burns and the ball was cleared off the line just as the half time whistle was blown.

The second half continued in the same vain as the first, with both defences marshalling any attacks with great aplomb. However after a great move down the left side Oxberry produced a great cross that fell to Mordey who finished expertly in the bottom left hand corner. It was only when Mordey turned to celebrate that he saw the referees assistant flag was raised for offside. However Durham continued to probe and it was Oxberry who broke the deadlock with a sublime volley that was finished with a composure fitting for the winning goal of this well fought match.

Chris Stevens the referee for the final said that it was a joy to referee such a hard fought but sporting match. It was a credit to both sets of teams that so much was at stake but their conduct was always exemplary.

The quality of the football has been high throughout the Gillette Cup and both teams should feel proud to have reached the final, particularly Spencer Shevlin, who won the man of the match award representing Durham and Lambton Street Club.

25/05/2010 16:27:05

UK Pool and Snooker Championship

The 2010 Clubs for Young People National Pool and Snooker Championship took place at the brand new Stephen Hendry Snooker Centre in Preston on Sunday 9th May. Over 120 young people participated in the event, representing 20 counties, Scotland and Wales, some having travelled from such far flung corners of the UK as Fife, Cardiff and West Sussex. Having already been successful in county and regional rounds, the third stage of the competition saw the crème de la crème compete for the coveted national titles. The brand new venue was clean, bright and kitted out with the latest tables while staff at the centre were committed to help young people develop in the game and hosted the event free of charge.

The competition harnessed a huge amount of talent, skill, focus and determination while the level of fair play and sporting behaviour was truly inspirational. Many have said that the standard of play has seen great growth in the past 2 years across the male and female categories.
Young People at the event were also responsible for officiating games, while being overseen by volunteers and qualified referees. Tournament organisers were left extremely impressed not only with the level of game knowledge young players had, but also the level of professionalism in refereeing the games.

Top referee Diane Stocks was impressed with both the level of play and sporting grace:
“I think it’s great to see young people taking responsibility and they are doing a great job! I’ve been involved with the Clubs for Young People tournament for a couple of years now and this is what inspired me to get involved with junior pool”

Demi Smart, Under 16 Pool Runner Up from Wales was impressed with the venue:

“I’ve participated in the event for a couple of years now and I really like it here, it’s bright and the tables are really good........I had a great time at the event”

The event was supported once again by volunteers from across the UK, many of whom assist us every year. Particular thanks to Tom Norton and his Team from Lancashire who ran the Snooker section, Byron and Simon from Wales, Trevor from South Yorkshire, Sue, Graham and Keith from Leicestershire, Dean from Burley BC Lancashire, Peter from Blackpool Lads and Girls Club, Carl from Notts, Faye Jones from Merseyside and also Linda Rees and Diane Stocks (pictured) who were the tournament referees.

08/04/2010 08:53:14

Clubs for Young People Boxing Championship Finals

The Clubs for Young People UK Boxing Championships for 2010 reached their conclusion with the finals of the competition taking place. The Class A final took place at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton on 20th March, the Class B final was at the Troxy in London on 25th March and the final for Class C was on 26th at the Catterick Garrison Leisure Centre in Yorkshire. The finals were well attended with around 200 spectators at each event.

Seventy-eight young men were in action at the finals of the tournament, competing in thirty-eight bouts across the three finals. All those competing had gained there place at the finals having been successful over opposition at the County and Area rounds of the competition, Quarter-finals and Semi-finals. The standard of boxing on display was therefore of an extremely high quality with many of the nation’s most talented young boxers competing.

Clubs for Young People have a rich history in boxing and have held nationwide boxing championships since 1936. The tournament is run with strict safety and quality standards and in conjunction with the Amateur Boxing Association of England. The competition remains one of our most popular events and a number of top British boxers have in the past been competitors at Clubs for Young People’s UK Boxing Championship, such as Amir Khan, Ricky Hatton and Henry Cooper.


Click here to view the results

05/03/2010 13:24:25

Hunslet Club Receives a Visit From Ed Balls MP

The Secretary of State for Education, Ed Balls MP, made a visit to The Hunslet Club in South Leeds on Friday 26th February. During his visit he received a tour of Hunslet Club’s facilities and learnt about the work of the club.

The Minister was briefed on the range of activities that the club provides and had the chance to see, first hand, some of the daytime vocational training activities for 14 to 16 year olds in action. The vocational courses on offer seemed to particularly stand out to the Secretary of State, as he later mentioned Hunslet Club on his Twitter page as an “impressive youth club in South Leeds doing vocational learning for young people”. Vocational courses available include joinery, plumbing and hairdressing. Mr Balls then went on to see some gym based boxing training, one of the clubs’ many sports courses on offer.

Since it was founded in 1940 Hunslet Club has provided a variety of high quality positive activities for young people to pursue in their leisure time. During that period they have nurtured the dance and drama talents of hundreds of young people and the sporting talents of championship boxers, professional footballers and rugby players.
Over the past ten years the club has run a vocational education centre which has helped over 1,500 young people gain qualifications or accreditation certificates in practical work based skills.

Talking about Ed Balls’ visit, Hunslet Club’s Funding and Marketing Officer, Jason Slack, said, “he got the chance to ask some of our learners about their courses, what they’ve learned and their aspirations and seemed very interested in what a difference the club has been making for them. We were pleased to be able to explain how, as an independent charity, we have been able to rise up to the challenge of the needs of young people to reach their full potential in this part of the city.”

18/01/2010 15:07:04

Fleetwood Club for Young People Launched

The newly developed Fleetwood Club for Young People was officially launch on 14th December by Doreen Lofthouse OBE and John Fielden who is a member of the Fielden family who paid for the old gym in 1894. The event attracted over 150 local people including dignitaries, supporters, local authority officers and young people while the first two taster sessions saw over 200 local young people and over 40 volunteers participate in games and activities.

The club which intends to be open five days a week by the summer has a fantastic range of state of the art facilities and is to be a flagship club for Clubs for Young People. The facilities available include a boxing gym, fitness suite, chill out area, coffee bar, video game suite, training rooms, pool, snooker, table tennis and an Apple Mac area, with a climbing wall in the process of being built. A range of exciting programmes have already been planned including sports activities, Nintendo Wii tournaments, cinema nights, residentials, media sessions, drama and dance.

Youth clubs in Fleetwood have a rich history with one notable club, Fleetwood gym, being built in 1894 using funds donated by the Fielden Family who were local mill owners. Over the years the gym became a safe, warm and affordable place for the youth of the town and its surrounding area to spend their leisure time while at the same time being a great supporter of Clubs for Young People events and activities. However, by 1999 to the gym’s trustees began a search for a new location and building as it had become clear that to refurbish and renovate the old and tired building would be beyond financial reach. The first floor of the Lofthouse foundation on London Street was chosen to be the new location and with the help of a £300,000 refurbishment Fleetwood Club for Young People was born.

The club has now affectionately become known as Tommy’s after Tom Norton MBE, who worked voluntarily over 52 years for the old Fleetwood Gym. The project could not have been carried out without the hard work of trustee Danny O’Neil and Clubs for Young People Lancashire CEO Alan Donking, who both worked tirelessly turning plans into reality, or the help of volunteers at the club Sean McGann Lewis Broten, Billy Sharrock and Ryan Sulivan who were successful in securing a £19k grant for the project from Youth Bank.

18/12/2009 11:11:47

Future Jobs Funding - 51 new apprentices

On the 17th December 2009, it was announced that Clubs for Young People will receive funding from the Future Jobs Fun to provide 51 six-month apprenticeships across our national network. The funding has been awarded on the strength of our network’s track record in supporting young people through participation in sports, creative arts, training and volunteering.

The Future Jobs Fund, is an initiative from the Department of Work & Pensions, aiming to create 120,000 jobs for people aged 18- 24 who have been subjected to long-term unemployment. It forms part of the Young Persons Guarantee and contributes to the Backing Young Britain Campaign.

Focusing on young people in areas of high unemployment, the apprenticeships are designed to improve confidence, self-esteem and motivation. Future Jobs Funding will also enable us to provide high quality training, ensuring that young people are able to demonstrate their competencies to recruiting employers.

The range of opportunities available is extremely varied and includes posts for:

• Activity Officers, who will help in coordinating and delivering a host of positive activities, including sports and the arts, to young people in their local community
• Assistant Development Workers who will assist in the County Associations’ capacity building work with local youth clubs and projects
• Youth Work Apprentices, who will be working young people directly in a wide range of activities
• Administrative and I.T. staff, who will help County Associations themselves to work more effectively
• Social Enterprise Directors, who will be launching businesses with primarily social objectives for the benefit of the wider community.

In addition to helping young people into employment, these roles will have a hugely positive impact on local communities. Future Jobs Fund apprentices will be a valuable addition to the workforces of our County and City Organisations, increasing their capacity and enabling the extension and enhancement of youth provision in local communities.

16/11/2009 14:56:05

Clubs For Young People Photography Competition 09

After much deliberation judges from the Clubs for Young People South team chose the winners of the Clubs for Young People photography competition 2009. The annual competition is open to all members of clubs affiliated to Clubs for Young People between the ages of 11 and 25, giving young people the chance to gain recognition for their photography and win a cash prize for their club. The categories for this year’s competition were, Challenge, Fun and Friends. Entries were received from youth clubs all over England and Wales and in the words of one judge, the photos submitted “give a flavour of the opportunities available throughout the Clubs for Young People network and the obvious enjoyment of the young people pictured.” The quality of the photographs sent in was high and the judges “were particularly impressed with the creativity of the young photographers and the variety of activities going on in the clubs represented.”

The high quality of the entries made it difficult for the judges to pick an overall winner and in the end they could not decide between two first-class entrants, 16 year old Hannah Adams and 15 year old William Gosling both from Banstead Youth Centre in Surrey. In the end it was decided that both deserved first prize and the pair were declared joint winners, their club received the £150 first prize and both were awarded certificates. The pair are delighted with the win, particularly as last years competition was also won by a member of their club and this award further acknowledges the good work being done with photography at Banstead.

Joint Winner William Gosling's photo The Zest of Life taken on a photography boat trip along the Thames.

Joint Winner Hannah Adam' photo High Expectations taken at the Thames Young Mariners eduction centre.

Hannah and William are both members of the Banstead Film Factory at Banstead Youth Centre, which has been meeting once a week for two and a half years. It is run by a core group of 4 young people who hold workshops on photography, animation, video and drama as well as arranging photography trips. The group worked together choosing which photos would best suit the competition’s categories and coming up with accompanying captions, which they feel, enhance the meaning of the photo. Members at the youth club are said to greatly enjoy the opportunity to learn about and practice photography and the advent of digital photography has meant that it is now easier and more inclusive.

Second place went to Olivia Hukins, 17, from Smarden Youth Club in Kent with her photo Fun is Splashing in Puddles! winning her club £100 and third place went to Jamie Wharton, 17, from Backworth Youth Club in Newcastle who wins his club £50.

Fun is Splashing in Puddles! By Olivia Hawkins from Smarden Youth Club, which came in second place. Thames.

4.The third placed entry by Jamie Wharton from Backworth Youth Club

23/10/2009 13:43:59

YOUNG VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY FILM-MAKERS SHOWCASED

More than 50 young voulunteers from across England who have made films to raise awareness and campaign about important community and social issues were honoured at the BOOM! Awards which took place at the Apple Store, Regent Street, in London on 22nd October.

The BOOM! project challenges young people aged 16-25 to connect with and benefit their communities by learning and putting into practice film-making and creative media skills through their local youth club.

BOOM! is a partnership project involving Clubs for Young People, volunteering charity ‘v’, MTV and youth engagement agency TomTom nation. All the youth clubs taking part have been given iMacs and use iMovie ’09 film editing software, which is part of the iLife suite of software that comes as standard on a Mac.



According to Becky Hedgcock, BOOM! Manager at Clubs for Young People: “It’s about encouraging young people to make a positive difference in their communities and to learn new skills in the process. We want young people to make films about things they want to change, improve, raise awareness about or simply have a say on.”

The project was launched in March 2008 and more than 1,000 youth clubs are now taking part. Over 2,000 volunteer youth club leaders have also been professionally trained to run BOOM! activities in their clubs.

The film-makers recognised at this evening’s BOOM! Awards event included the ‘The Club’ from Hartland in Devon who won Best Film for their film ‘Girl Meets Guy On Meebo’ on the potential dangers of meeting strangers via the internet. The full list of award-winners is as follows:

• Best Original Idea: Tyneside Youth Action Team from Shiremoor, Tyne & Wear, for ‘The Tramp In Me’
• Best Camerawork: Sweat Dreamz & Soft Touch from Leicester for ‘Street Dreamz The Movie’
• Best Front-Of-Camera Performance: Electron Bosompem from Leading Our Lives in South East London for ‘The Last Chapter’
• Best Editing: Eye Arts Club from Hoxne, Suffolk, for ‘The Wishing Mill’
• Best Soundtrack: Freya Films from Hastings, Sussex, for ‘MC Tarqinius – Just Cos My Daddy’s Rich’
• Best Direction: Harry Smith from The Club in Hartland, Devon, for ‘Girl Meets Guy On Meebo’
• Best Community Story: The Stonehouse Gang from Birmingham for ‘Does It Matter’
• Outstanding Club Leader: Eva Savickate from Tyneside Youth Action Team in Shiremoor, Tyne & Wear
• Outstanding Volunteering: Amar Sejpal from Pro-Action Herts in Hatfield, Hertfordshire
• Soldier’s Eyes Award: Rhys Williams from Bromley Film in Kent and Thom Allen from Atlanta Film in London
• Best Film: The Club from Hartland, Devon, for ‘Girl Meets Guy On Meebo’

The Awards event was jointly hosted by Konnie Huq, the well-known TV presenter and media personality, and Nick Ede, the highly regarded expert and media commentator on celebrity, fashion and lifestyle. The event also featured a guest appearance by singer-songwriter Jack Savoretti to present a special BOOM! Award for the Soldier’s Eyes competition, run in conjunction with BOOM!, which challenged young people to make a music video with a social message for Jack’s song Soldier’s Eyes.

For more information go to www.boomnation.net

18/08/2009 16:33:05

Rose Bowl 2009, Northern Ireland, 10th – 14th Augu

Clubs for Young People (CYP) girls England under 16s football team were victorious for the third year running, winning the 2009 Rose Bowl Tournament in exciting fashion. After 3 games the team finished on level points with Scotland but came out on top due to a superior goal difference record. The team drew 1-1 with Scotland in their opening match, which was keenly contested. Both teams exhibited great levels of skill and enthusiasm. The team played sensational football in their second and third matches, beating Northern Ireland and Wales 3-0 and 11-0 respectively. Each member of the team contributed hugely to this success. It was a fantastic tournament, with all teams playing good football and demonstrating fair play and team spirit.

This was only the third year England CYP has entered a team in the event and players were selected from Cheshire CYP, Lancashire CYP, South Yorkshire CYP, Northumberland CYP and Durham CYP. Each player represented their country, county and club with great pride and effort during the week of the tournament. The girls made new friends with players from the other 3 participating nations and had a great week in Bangor. A special mention to Charlotte Heyes who won Player of the tournament, emphasised by the fact that she scored a hatrick against Wales. Not bad for a left back!

Thanks to the players for their hard work and positive attitude and also the team managers, Paul Smith, John Weaver and Helen Alderson. Their dedication, commitment and sheer hard work in selecting, preparing and running the teams contributed to a very enjoyable and successful trip. Finally, thanks to the parents for their support whilst in Northern Ireland. They gave the teams wonderful vocal backing and support

Wales 1 – 1 N.Ireland
England 1 - 1 scotland
England 3 – 0 N.Ireland
Scotland 5 – 0 Wales
England 11 – 0 Wales
N.Ireland 0 – 7 Scotland

2009 Rose Bowl Table

	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
England	2	1	0	15	1	+14	7
Scotland	2	1	0	13	1	+12	7
N.Ireland	0	1	2	1	11	-10	1
Wales	0	1	2	1	17	-16	1

16/07/2009 10:20:37

Somewhere To Belong

Somewhere to belong...a blueprint for 21st Century youth clubs
Clubs for Young People's newly launched report, Somewhere to belong,
sets out a vision for clubs for the future. The report highlights the
true value of clubs, including the prevention of crime and anti-social
behaviour among young people through the support and activities clubs
provide. The report makes several recommendations, including what needs
to be done to help smaller clubs, many of which are currently running
hand to mouth, . Find out more...

13/07/2009 15:57:40

Netball Report 2009

“It’s always my favourite tournament to come to, I’ve been coming for years, the atmosphere is so friendly and it’s the best organised by far”

Clubs for Young People hosted its 13th annual netball tournament on June 20th 2009 at The Sporting Edge in Ormskirk, Lancashire.

Attracting over 400 young women, the event continues to grow in size and success.

“We would like to say a big thank you for the tournament, it was very well run and all the girls and parents had a wonderful day, and please invite us to your next one”



Once again, the tournament was predominantly staffed by young volunteers who took on a number of roles including scoring, umpiring, photography, scorekeeping and announcing.

Working in close partnership with Kevin Rowley of Cheshire County Netball, Clubs for Young People has developed an innovative mentoring scheme into which six top class umpires including international standard officials are part of. Following a range of locally based Class C umpire award courses, 12 participants were selected to be mentored into an umpiring programme. These young women have been working closely with their mentors on a number of games leading up to Clubs for Young People’s tournament and have been guided through a range of playing situations.



A standard netball game is officiated by 2 umpires. This year each game was officiated by 2 young umpires, shadowed by their mentors. This ensured a degree of autonomy for the girls whilst also maintaining safety and consistency of play.

Top Umpire and Mentor Andrea Cowherd said;

“The opportunity to mentor under the conditions that we had was great, it felt like true team effort. The girls who took part thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and it has given them a huge boost in their confidence and has encouraged them to progress”

By officiating a national competition these girls have taken a huge step, they have proven themselves to be great role models and a real inspiration to others. Several team managers commented on how high the standard of umpiring was and were delighted to see that investment was being made in future officials.

The young umpires commented that the event was;

“A fantastic experience, I’ve loved doing it, my confidence has really grown”
“Really great, everyone has been so supportive, I want to go further and further”

Mentor Emma Pike said;

“The girls have been brilliant. They have worked hard and are so enthusiastic. They have taken on board the learning and have improved so much in such a short space of time”

The event was supported by many volunteers including representatives from All England Netball Association and Northern Thunder. Adult volunteers were also given the opportunity to play in a friendly game which involved umpires, Mums, Dads, Coaches and CYP Staff.



The competition was split into 3 categories – Under 12’s, Under 14’s and Under 16’s. The event attracted a superb standard of play and enthusiasm from experienced and new teams. All the young people involved are excellent ambassadors for their clubs and counties and are all congratulated. A big well done to all of those involved and a special thank you to all of the volunteers who make the event happen including the youth volunteers, youth umpires, tournament officials, senior umpires, mentors, and not forgetting the 17 club umpires who also helped to officiate the event. Thankyou!

23/06/2009 09:16:53

The 47th 100 Mile Canoe Test

The 47TH annual Clubs for Young People 100 Mile Canoe Test took place on the River Wye last month with over 150 paddlers taking part.

Young People from across Essex, South Yorkshire, London, Surrey, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Surrey took part in the national event, with 148 participants completing the challenge.

The event started in Glasbury on 23rd May and finished at Monmouth rowing club on 26th May, with seven water marshals and ten land marshals providing supervision at intervals along the route and at the base camp which was set up at Fownehope Recreation Ground.

"The weather was fantastic and everyone worked incredibly hard over the four days", said the event organiser. "Participants completed each day feeling exhausted, but elated. They had the energy to start each day with masses of enthusiasm and support for their other club members".

The 100 Mile Canoe Test gives young people an opportunity to take part in a personal challenge with a group from their club or county. It allows them to interact with other young people from across the country, develop their team work and stay healthy.

This year's event was a huge success, thank you to all those who helped with organising and well done to everyone who completed the test.

22/06/2009 11:16:12

UK Table Tennis Finals 09

'Only a few years ago the Table Tennis competition was about to be taken out the Clubs for Young People activity programme. However, hard work pays off and the event has now grown from a mere 50 players to attracting over 150 players through 11 counties and 3 countries.'

On 13th June 09, Halton Table Tennis Centre, Widnes, played host to the Clubs for Young People UK Table Tennis finals.

Young people aged 11-19 travelled from a wide catchment of 11 counties including Sussex, Warwickshire, Nottingham and London, to local entrants from Cheshire and Manchester. The event, which is open to all four nations, also welcomed young people from clubs in Scotland and Wales.

The event was firmly backed by the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) and produced an excellent standard of play during the day with many competitors raising their game and playing far beyond the expectations of their coaches. Many young people present had already played off against others in regionally organised events linked to this national championship, so were already champions in their own right. Special thanks to Karen Tonge MBE, tournament referee.

The excellent venue, enthusiastic competitors, support of club workers and volunteers plus a visit from the Mayor of the Borough certainly assisted to raise the profile of the event and has left firm foundations to enable this event to grow even further in the coming year. The good spirit and fair play seen throughout this competitive championship was a pleasure.

In addition, 19 young people, under the guidance of Frank James community TT coach, successfully gained their junior umpire award, the first rung on the ladder of officiating. Some of them having their eyes set on participating as officials in the 2012 Olympics. That totals over 65 young people across the UK gaining the qualification over the past three events, many of who use it on a regular basis within their clubs and at local events.

Frank James Halton Community coach expressed his support of the event and the quality of play from the young people present. He said, 'the standard of play was extremely high and energies channelled into constructive play'. He was pleased with the extended reach to an accredited qualification during the event.


As well as the successful competitors during the day special mention to Faye Jones, Andre Francis and Zowie our V. volunteers who undertook a number of tasks during the day including officiating, administration duties, accreditation responsibilities, set up tasks and clear up duties. They are a credit to their clubs and communities and showed excellent commitment during the day. A big thank you to the many volunteers, workers, friends and families from the 22 clubs who were present on the day; their support during the day was invaluable. Special thanks to Billy Waldron, Brain Kendall, Bryon Lock, Alan White and Neil Wheatley for their help and support during the day.


Dave from Twickenham and Brunswick Club said on behalf of his young people “Thank you for a great competition on Saturday. I appreciate what a headache it must be as I do a fair bit of organizing tournaments myself. All our players enjoyed the day.’


CYP looks forward to working in partnership with the ETTA in the coming months to further explore ways in which we can develop not just this event but the opportunities linked to this growing sport and the benefits active participation can have on the young people we work with.

22/06/2009 11:13:48

UK Pool and Snooker finals 2009

"A great day", "A fantastic experience", "Can't wait for next year", "Some of these players are wicked", "What a great way of spending a Saturday!"

These were just some of the comments from the young people at the UK Pool and Snooker Final in May.



125 young people supported by over 100 leaders and parents competed in this year’s pool and snooker finals held for the third time at Miscues Pool Centre, Barnsley. The finals were a great success with all the players showing commitment and fair play throughout the day.

In line with the development principals of the Clubs for Young People 'Do Somethin' campaign a new under 12's age group was introduced three years ago. This age range continues to show great skill and commitment to the event and many of those U12's given the opportunity three years ago remain in the programme today. This year one young female player defending her title for the 3rd year after moving into the next age group.

In partnership with Leicestershire Clubs for Young People and the north area, 5 young people were the main organisers of the event. For the group, organising the UK finals is a step on from assisting at area events. A challenge they are keen to carry on and they have already volunteered to assist at the UK Table tennis finals in June. The whole project initiated through the do Somethin More V project , will include the group following the CYP OCN level 2 ‘Events Organisation’ qualification, and securing an NGB umpiring award. Congratulations to Joe, Jake, Sophie, Victoria Nathan and Sue their worker; they are a credit to their Club, County and to CYP UK wide. Support from CYP and county staff during the day is invaluable, with special mention this year for their support to Bryon and Simon from Wales, Lisa from Leicestershire, Walleed from S Yorkshire and Becky from CYP.

Also supporting the event was the English Pool Association and World Snooker in the provision of referees and one young EPA champion, Mark Selby, was an excellent role model for participants. He played a 'challenge the champion session' of pool games with participants throughout the day.

Many thanks to the EPA and especially Amanda Speight owner of Miscues Pool Centre for their continued support and close working relationships to develop the Do Somethin’ CYP campaign.

02/04/2009 14:10:12

Clubs for Young People UK Boxing Final

After a busy week of boxing finals the Clubs for Young People's 2009 Championships concluded with the Class C finals in the Troxy. This 1930's art-deco venue provided a suitably glamorous back drop for the black-tie dinner which was attended by 250 dinner guests and spectators.

The evening began with VIP sari draped drinks to complement the India cuisine, and gave the participants a chance to get some tips from boxing celebrities such as Darren Sutherland, Keith Waters, and Ian Napa to name but a few.

Once the India dinner service was underway, twelve gripping bouts consisting of four round each began.

Midway through the evening there was a raffle and auction presided over by Steve Holdsworth. The prizes included a day of cooking with Jun Tanaka, an O2 box to see the Kings of Leon live, a day at the stables of Paul Nicholls, an overnight stay at The Egypt Mill hotel and two tickets, flights and accommodation to see Martin Rogans flight in Belfast.

The proceedings drew to a close at midnight, but not before presentations were given out by Richie Woodhall for best winner, best stylist, most courageous and best runner-up.

'The Clubs for Young People's UK Championships went like clockwork and are a marvelous opportunity for youngsters to gain valuable experience in a well controlled and expertly organised competitive environment.'

To view the results in full click here

At the youth-led launch on March 4th Beverley Hughes, Minister for Children and Young People announced 41 successful Myplace projects, who in total will receive £180 million to turn their vision of a world class youth centres into a reality.

Prominent members of Clubs for Young People's network Bolton Lads and Girls Club and Young Bristol worked with other partners on successful bids and will now share a total of £20,000,000 to build four new youth centres for young people to enjoy.

Trevor Jones, Chief Executive of Young Bristol said: 'This is brilliant news for the young people of our city. We've had a vision for such a facility for the last eight years and now it's just a couple of years away from becoming a reality. The young consultants that have been involved in planning this world-class facility have ensured that it will have everything that local young people want and need'.

Onside North West, who have their roots in Bolton Lads and Girls Club will lead the development of three new Youth Centres who have all received £5,000,000 each: Oldham Youth Zone, Manchester Youth Zone (Harpurhey) and Blackburn Youth Zone.

Oldham Youth Zone will stand on a generous site at the heart of the town centre just a couple of hundred yards from the bus interchange. The active Young People's Development Group will work with The Sorrell Foundation to complete the design of a landmark building which will make a strong visual statement and will be finished to a high internal specification with the best equipment and a clear focus on the quality of the environment and facilities.

This centre will offer a wide range of sporting, artistic, cultural, physical and recreational activities for young people. The centre will be owned and operated by a new charitable body, governed by young people, representatives of the local business community and voluntary sector, with local authority officers providing a strategic lead. Oldham Youth Zone will become a key element of the community's cohesion strategy.

A little further south, in partnership with Manchester City Council, Onside North West will also be leading Manchester Youth Zone. This youth centre will stand on a huge site in the centre of Harpurhey (one of the most deprived wards in the country). A brand new iconic building will provide young people with the chance to choose from as wide a range of activities as possible – from music and creative arts, to fitness training, a refueling stop between the climbing wall and the rowing machine, a chance to meet friends and chat over a snack or a coffee, or a place to access informal education and/or support services. All this will be provided at a time, and the high quality environment that the young people want.

Last but not least for the Northwest, Onside Northwest will oversee the development of Blackburn Youth Zone. With significant private sector backing the youth centre will stand in the heart of Blackburn and will be central to the regeneration of the city. The centre will offer young people access to a climbing wall, boxing gym, fitness suite, dance and football, and support and advice on a range of issues from support agencies such as Connexions. In common with all OnSide’s successful projects, Blackburn Youth Zone will be open long hours seven days a week and young people, aged 8 to 21 years (25yrs for those with disabilities and/or learning difficulties) will be able to access all the opportunities it provides for just 50p per visit.

And over in the South- West of the country Myplace Bristol will be led by Young Bristol and give local young people, including those from a disadvantaged backgrounds or at risk of anti-social behaviour, a place to go.

A team of young consultants has informed proposals for the new centre, which will be built in the heart of the city on the site of the former Bridewell Police Station. The new venue will feature a range of world-class facilities, including a climbing wall, outdoor ball court and fitness suite, a health and beauty room, radio, film and music studios, exhibition areas and a cafe and kitchen. As well as new activities, the centre will provide access to a range of support services, from health advice and counselling, to education, skills and employment services.

At the launch Beverley Hughes said "gone are the days of youth clubs with dusty halls, where the only activities on offer were pool or table tennis. [...]. This is the single largest ever capital investment in youth facilities and will deliver the most ambitious, ground breaking high quality projects for inner cities and local communities across the country."

01/04/2009 09:45:50

Annual Conference 2009

"The conference blew away my expectations and it was just such an amazing experience"

"An excellent range of speakers, workshops and networking opportunities available as well literature on offer to support"

These were just some of the positive comments from delegates at the Open4youngpeople the Clubs for Young People Annual Conference which took place at the end of last month. This conference was planned to provide the time and space for staff and volunteers from community based youth clubs and centres to network, share ideas, reflect, enjoy themselves, and celebrate success.

Over the two days, more than 200 people, including youth club leaders, volunteers, and young people themselves, were inspired and informed.

The conference was opened by Simon Antrobus, Chief Executive of Clubs for Young People. Rene Carayol, broadcaster, then took delegates through his life journey and the people who had encouraged and believed in him, and how this led him to set up a mentoring project at his local youth club. His inspirational speech set the tone for the two days ahead.

Throughout the two days club successes and young people’s achievements were key. We heard about how local clubs had grown and developed, often in challenging circumstances, and many motivational club leaders and volunteers ran workshops to share their ideas.

Marcus Nelson, a young volunteer, chaired much of the Friday conference, as well as sharing with the audience how and why he got involved with his local club in Nottinghamshire, and what this has meant to him.

Friday ended with the gala dinner. It was an uplifting end to a successful day, where individuals and clubs were recognised through the Clubs for Young People’s annual awards, including video messages of support and congratulations from Beverley Hughes, David Cameron, Nick Clegg and David Blunkett, all pre-recorded by young people from the Crew Club in Brighton. The after-dinner entertainment was a singing trio, with a twist, called Incognito. They ended the evening with everyone on their feet, waving their napkins in the air to Queen’s ‘We are the Champions’, which seemed a fitting end to the first day.

Saturday saw the arrival of more young people, as the focus of the day was for young volunteers.

There was a variety of workshops on offer which included those focusing on developing leadership skills and running sessions in clubs and others giving participants an opportunity to be creative both as drummers and fashion show designers!

A media workshop as part of the BOOM! project also ran ensuring that everything that was going on was well documented by those working with their newly found skills and their video cameras.

Those attending on the Saturday were equally happy with their experiences - "Was all brilliant" "It was great to meet loads of good people" "I think it was a really good experience, I really enjoyed the day” “When is the next one?!!"

01/12/2008 08:48:51

Great News: Leicestershire Clubs for Young People

Leicestershire Clubs for Young People, working together with Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, has been awarded over £4.5 million as part of the myplace programme.

Hinckley Clubs for Young People was the lead organisation for the bid. Alison Jolley, County Director for Leicestershire Clubs for Young People, said, “We are incredibly excited by the news. The bid was a big investment of time, but is a great example of how the voluntary sector can work together with statutory partners to benefit young people and the community.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for Clubs for Young People as we will be part of a flagship youth centre. We are very grateful to the Borough Council for their support, and cannot wait to get started on the project".

Hinckley Club for Young People, situated at Richmond Park, Hinckley, will have a sports hall, chill out zone, computer workspace and climbing wall, as well as a fitness suite and conference facilities. A skate-park, BMX track and allotments will give visitors plenty of scope for enjoying the outdoors as well.

Activities will include recording sessions, homework clubs, DJ workshops, discos, archery and car maintenance. Advice and support on topics such as debt and sexual health awareness will also be offered. The new club building will be eco-friendly, with low running costs and a low carbon footprint through rainwater harvesting and high efficiency lighting.

As well as the £4.5m from myplace, the Borough Council is contributing a further £1.2m to the project.

21/11/2008 15:27:05

Glenborrodale Brought into 21st Century

Up in the remote reaches of the Scottish Highlands there are plenty of things to keep you occupied. Like the amazing Glenborrodale Activities Centre for instance. Gifted to Clubs for Young People in 1985, Glenborrodale has played host to many groups including the Clubs for Young People Leadership Course which runs there once a year.

Glenborrodale is a place where the unforgiving terrain and vast array of outdoors activities have challenged many a young person and brought many teams together through the exhilaration that it inspires.

When at Glenborrodale, leave your mobile phone switched off – there’s no reception. You won’t find a TV there either. How ironic then, that Glenborrodale has now been brought squarely into the 21st century with a colourful new website. The site details all the activities available and gives you an insight into the ethos and amazing surroundings of a very special place.

Check out the Glenborrodale site at www.glenborrodale-activities-centre.co.uk. For more info on the centre, contact details are available on the site.

11/09/2008 12:07:24

Clubs for Young People launch 2008/09 programme of positive activities

Clubs for Young People's Do Somethin’ campaign was offically launched by Iain Duncan Smith at Salmon Youth Centre on September 10. The campaign, which aims to support over 40,000 young people get active in their clubs and local communities over the next 12 months,provides an exetensive programme of local, regional and national activities and events.

Two young people (pictured below) shared their own experience of the Do Somethin' campaign having both completed the national leadership course in 2008.

A recent Brunel University study of young people who attend youth clubs has been reviewed and updated. A key finding of the study identified that an overwhelming majority of young people (93%) said their club represented a safe place to go within their community whilst 70% said being involved in their club increased their participation in positive activities.

The research is backed up by a study undertaken by Sheffield University which identified that whilst there are not enough youth facilities in low income areas, where there is a club providing positive activities there are less anti social behaviour orders.

Clubs for Young People seek to provide a diverse programme of activities and events for young people to achieve and enjoy and are delighted by the increasing number of young people who, in the face of adversity are choosing to make a positive contribution in their local communities.  

For copies of the Do Somethin’ 08/09 activities programme, please contact the Clubs for Young People head office at office@clubsforyoungpeople.org.uk, 020 7793 0787.

Pic: Shezan Mohammed, Iain Duncan Smith (Conservative MP), Natalie Trevers, Simon Antrobus ( Clubs for Young People Chief Executive)

14/03/2008 14:00:49

2008 BOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS

It has been a strenuous start to the year for affiliated boxing clubs across the UK with the 2008 Clubs for Young People National Boxing Championships attracting the highest number of participants on record. In recent weeks more than 650 young men have been boxing their way through club, quarter and semi finals for a chance to claim the prestigious NABC title. Class A and B championship finals took place on the 3rd and 6th of March respectively, closely followed by a black tie gala final for Class C on the 7th of March.

2008 Clubs for Young People National Boxing Champions:

Class A - Nottingham

Class B - Sheffield

Class C - London