Friday Night Fun For Kirrie Youngsters
06/04/2009
An innovative project for young people in Kirriemuir has proved so successful it has received extra funding to enable it to run for an extended period. The Kirriemuir Friday Nite project aims to provide regular activity on a Friday night which provides positive alternatives for young people in the area. Since its launch, the project has gone from strength to strength, and over the last few weeks numbers of new members have been increasing as the word spreads about the project. Around 50 to 60 young people are now going along to the project, which is being supported by local and business volunteers.
The Focus on Alcohol Angus Healthy Happy Project is mostly volunteers from the community who have been working closely with staff from Webster's Sports Centre, Volunteer Centre Angus, Tayside Police, Tayside Fire and Rescue, NHS Tayside and Angus Council to provide a range of activities to keep young peoples' interest. Local Community Police Officer, Pam Colvin has done a great deal to promote the project across the community to get others involved in making it a success. This has involved getting the local hair and beauty salons in the town involved and this has resulted in visits from staff every week who are giving up their time and expertise free of charge, to put on a 'Girls Night In' activity.
Project manager for the Focus on Alcohol Angus project, Eileen McArthur commented: 'It is quite unusual to see such a range of community, public services and the business community work together to provide youth provision in this way. "Already we are witnessing the benefits of the Kirriemuir Friday Nite Project with young people in first year through to senior pupils coming along to enjoy themselves. This will hopefully interest the young people not just for now but hopefully for the future and help them understand that positive alternatives to drinking alcohol exist at the weekend. I am delighted that the project will be extended to the end of June thanks to funding from the Angus Drug and Alcohol Action Team." Local volunteer and Volunteer Centre Angus manager, Gary Malone, who is supporting the community volunteers, added: "It is fitting to pay tribute to those who have taken forward the project especially the efforts of young people themselves who as volunteers help run the project. This is truly a unique joint venture which has put the fun back into youth work, the young people love it. Its success is due to the fact that the young people are appreciated respected and supported. All too often we hear negative things about young people but what we are seeing here is something very positive, talented young people, taking responsibility and having fun."