Work that supports young people gets funding boost

The Rock works with Cheltenham Borough Homes and Gloucestershire Police to support young people

A youth project has been given a £41k grant to allow them to help more young people.

The Rock's work focuses on supporting young people who struggle with school and running evening youth work, in addition to helping young people out and about in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

Operations director Mr Macauly said they recognise not every young person can access a youth centre, or wishes to.

"It's a great moment when you arrive at a park and young people have made the effort to go there to meet you," he explained.

No Child Left Behind brought together funding from Cheltenham Borough Homes as part of Cheltenham Borough Council, NHS Gloucestershire and Gloucestershire’s Office of Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) that was then made available for organisations to deliver detached youth work services in Cheltenham.

The Rock’s work is focused on three identified areas: The Moors in St Peter's, St Paul’s and the town centre.

The project so far has used provision such as mobile sports activities as a connecting point, as well as helping young people to make healthy lifestyle choices.

Victoria Atherstone, Cheltenham Borough Council's cabinet member for safety and communities, said The Rock had "a fantastic application" for the grant.

"[The council] recognised we did need to focus more on detached youth work to meet young people in the environments they're actually at," she said.

"The town centre, St Paul's and St Peter's are three specific areas we're honing in on to support young people."