6 Thursday, January 29, 2009 www.whitehaven-news.co.ukCleator Crack
Phoenix hit streets to
offer help and support
THE Phoenix Youth
Project reaches out to
more and more young
people, offering help
and support in more
areas than people
may realise. Cleator
Crack invited Paul
Rowe, youth develop-
ment officer, to tell us
all about the latest
good work at the pro-
ject.
"For the past two years The
Phoenix Youth Project has de-
livered detached youth work
to the young people of Cleator
Moor and the surrounding
areas.
This is aimed at young peo-
ple who have nothing to do
and do not access our centre-
based youth work sessions.
Every Wednesday Lindsay
Hollerin and Joanne Pears
meet young people on their
terms, where they are al-
ready hanging around.
Although we also drop into
Frizington, Arlecdon and
Cleator, we have been con-
centrating on Cleator Moor
recently due to a large in-
crease in the numbers of
young people hanging
around the centre of Cleator
Moor.
A typical session would
consist of Lindsay and
Joanne meeting young people
on and around Cleator Moor
Square, the majority of whom
we work with on a weekly
basis.
They would walk around
different areas of Cleator
Moor looking for new groups
of young people to work with,
before finally meeting a well
established detached group
in warmth of our office. Dur-
ing the session we would offer
young people advice, guid-
ance and signposting along
with cups of tea, coffee or
chocolate as well as chips.
Once we have a group of
young people to work with we
deliver workshops on various
issues that are affecting the
young people.
These are wide ranging
and depend on the individual
and/or group but can range
from anti social behaviour to
sexual health and many
more.
As well as offering sexual
health advice and workshops
we also offer free Chlamydia
screening and the chance to
join up to the c-card scheme
where young people can get
free condoms if they meet cer-
tain criteria.
This service is free and
confidential, as all of our ser-
vices are. Young people can
also accesses the internet
from our office within
Phoenix Court.
We don't work with the
large numbers that attend
our centre based provision
but we do target individuals
and groups who are the most
at need.
In recent months the pro-
ject has been working in part-
nership with local PC and
PCSO's.
The aim here is to break-
down barriers between
young people and the police
and to reduce anti social and
nuisance behaviour.
We also believe in reward-
ing our young people for tak-
ing part in our activities and
in the past year young people
we meet on Wednesday
nights have been to watch a
Carlisle United football
match as well as a trip to
watch Jack and the Beanstalk
over Christmas."
Two young people told
Cleator Crack what they
think about the detached
youth work sessions which
Phoenix delivers.
Shauna McLellan said: "I
have started coming to the
youth club over the last cou-
ple of months and I have re-
ally enjoyed it, I know if I
need someone to talk to I
come here.
"I have wanted to join the
youth club but always
thought that I was too old and
then I met Paul and Lindsay
on the street and they got me
interested in the detached
club and I have now started to
volunteer.
"I always look forward to
Wednesdays, we get to talk to
the local police about our
area, we also do different
workshops which makes us
more aware of things."
Adele Wilkinson said: "I
come here every Wednesday
to meet with Lindsay and
Joanne as they explain things
better to me than teachers as
they seem to have more time
for us.
"They are a lot easier than
college counsellors."
How to get involved
The Phoenix Youth Project
is always looking for fur-
ther support from the com-
munity through seeking
volunteers to help with the
running of the two youth
centres it runs its activities
from in Cleator Moor and
Frizington.
Frizington Youth Centre
is open Monday, Wednes-
day, and Thursday
evenings. Whilst Cross-
field Community Centre,
Cleator Moor is open every
Tuesday and Thursday
evening. All evening ses-
sions with the exception of
Thursday evening at Friz-
ington run between 6pm
and 9pm, with the 8 � 12
year olds attending be-
tween 6pm and 7:30pm and
the 13 - 19 year olds at-
tending between 7:30pm
and 9pm.
The final session is a
Duke of Edinburgh Open
Award Evening running
between 6pm and 8pm for
13 � 19 year olds. For fur-
ther details contact Paul
Rowe, youth development
officer, on 01946 814555.
OUT AND
ABOUT: Two
of the young
people
involved in
the detached
youth
sessions are
Adele
Wilkinson,
far left and
Shauna
McLellan, far
right. Here
they are
chatting to
youth project
workers.
HAVING
A CUPPA:
Adele
Wilkinson
and
Shauna
McLellan
chat to PC
Sandra
Dempsey
HERE
TO HELP:
On the
streets of
Cleator
Moor with
the
Phoenix
Youth
Project

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