I was at a meeting this morning of the Blackhall Community Youth Project (BCYP). This group was set up after the youth club in Middle Street closed last year and its overall remit is to identify gaps in youth provision in the Blackhall and Hesleden area and to set out a programme of activities and events which fill those gaps.
The group is represented by all key organisations and agencies in the area including the parish and county councils, East Durham Trust, East Durham Area Action Partnership, Blackhall Community Centre, One Point, Groundwork and all three primary schools.
The main issue for discussion at this morning's meeting was the provision of a skatepark in the area.
A petition requesting a skatepark and signed by over 1,200 residents was handed recently to the clerk of Monk Hesleden Parish Council. This was then passed to the BCYP to ensure first of all that the signatories had the opportunity to put their case to the group, and also to enable the organisations involved to consider all options available.
It was agreed by those present that the overall aim of the group would be to provide a skatepark in the parish area if at all possible. It was acknowledged that there would be a number of obstacles to encounter in achieving this goal (mainly in terms of funding, land availability and public demand) but there was a general agreement that all options would remain open at this stage.
As a first step, in order to gauge public demand, the group is to explore the opportunity to provide a temporary skatepark in the area, perhaps over a full weekend in May or June. Partners will also work together to ensure that funding is made available to provide transport for young people from the area to get to the skatepark in Peterlee.
Whatever is achieved in the future I am sure that it will be of considerable benefit to the young people in our area. I am impressed by the effort they have put into organising a campaign of this nature and feel that it must be rewarded. The BCYP, together with the wider community, will offer every support needed to ensure a positive outcome.
The group will meet again in June to consider further options but in the meantime please let me know if you have any comments you wish to make or if you would like to know more about the Blackhall Community Youth Project.
