Saltire Friday Nite Project
16/10/2008
The hugely popular Friday Nite Project for young people starts again at the Saltire Leisure Centre in Arbroath on Friday 24 October. The project will run on a Friday night from 6.30pm to 10.30pm for young people in the secondary school age group and with regular attendance sitting at 90-100 young people per week and over 200 members from the last session, organisers hope young people will again respond in good numbers. The views of young people involved in the first session have been sought and the line up of activity is very much geared towards the young people's suggestions. Sessions will include the regular slots such as midnight football, racquet sports, karaoke and Wii Sessions, but will also be enhanced with a regular hip hop dance session, inflatable sessions, use of the fitness suite, spinning classes, and trampolining. A regular chill out area is now also available from 9pm to 10.30pm, simply to allow young people the opportunity to sit and chat with friends.
Young people are now becoming more involved with the development of the project and it is hoped this will progress to some assisting and eventually taking the lead in delivering some of the activity. This project, aims to provide regular activity on a Friday night which provides positive alternatives for young people in the area. It continues to be free with young people being invited just to drop in on the night. Partners contributing towards its success include Angus Council, Tayside Council on Alcohol, Tayside Police, Tayside Fire and Rescue, ARCH (Arbroath Regeneration Cliffburn and Hayshead), Showcase the Street, Volunteer Centre Angus, and Focus on Alcohol. The project was set up with regeneration funds and current funding was recently secured from the Youth Initiative Fund. Police Sergeant Fergus Storrier who chairs the group who plan the project said: "It is clear that without the large contribution made by all partners, the Saltire Friday Nite Project wouldn't be as exciting and dynamic as it is. We have a clear commitment on Friday nights from Angus Council, ARCH and Tayside Council on Alcohol.
"It is positive that Tayside Police and Tayside Fire and Rescue have the chance to work and support young people in an informal setting. This will no doubt allow relationships to develop. I am sure the project and partnership involvement will reap benefits for the young people attending and also the Arbroath community as a whole." The news of the success of this project has spread to Kirriemuir and the Focus on Alcohol Angus project is currently exploring the set up a similar project for the area. Project manager Eileen McArthur said: "I am pleased to be involved in this potential development. The original aim of setting up the Saltire project was to give young people something to do, and somewhere to go at a time in the week when we know that young people will drink alcohol. Local people and partner organisations are keen to see a similar project in the Kirriemuir area. Hopefully if enough can support this and funding is sought then we might see the establishment of a second Friday Nite project for Angus."
2009-03-05 09:47:51