At the recent Dursley Town and Cam Parish Council meetings, both sets of councillors agreed to a continued partnership with The Door to provide Community Youthwork in both communities following a robust re-tendering process.
The Door has been successfully delivering its award-winning Community Youthwork model based at The Vibe, Parsonage Street, and Cam Woodfield Centre, Frederick Thomas Road, since 2015. The councils, following recommendation from the Youthwork Steering Committee, agreed to award The Door a new 3-year contract starting in September.
Community Youthwork Co-ordinator Kathleen Hanbury describes why The Door has such an impact in the area, “We don’t have a ‘programme-driven’ approach to Youthwork, but make opportunities available to young people which respond quickly and effectively to the real situations they find themselves in. This relies on the team having built strong relationships with the young people to be ‘licenced’ by them to speak openly and honestly into their lives.”
Over the past 3 years, Kathleen and her team have developed excellent partnerships with Rednock School, the local community police, churches in Dursley and Cam, local shop-keepers and business oweners as well young people and their families. A team of volunteers from Marks and Spencer will be working alongside young people and staff to decorate and re-furnish the Cam Woodfield Centre over the coming weeks. “Its not just about having a lovely centre for the young people to use, but making a space that the whole community can be proud of and have access to,” says Kathleen. “I’m actually part of the management committee for the centre, because helping the community is an important part of what I do, and what The Door is all about. I’m so excited that we can continue our work in Dursley and Cam – inspiring young people with hope for their future.”
Mayor of Dursley, Cllr Neil Grecian, adds “I am very pleased that The Door Youth Project have successfully re-tendered for this opportunity, the joint youth project with Cam Parish Council has proved very successful over the last three years. The youth sessions continue to be very popular for the young people of Dursley and Cam. We received three quality bids for the youth service opportunity and I am confident the young people will continue to reap the benefit of the quality service provided by The Door Youth Project.”
Cllr Miranda Clifton, Cam, adds “We are pleased that the young people of Cam will continue to benefit from the excellent and varied work which The Door has been doing for the past three years. We look forward to our youth club growing from strength to strength, with the young people both enjoying and learning from the opportunities provided.”
