The City of Bradford YMCA with BEES (Bradford Environmental Education Service) are delivering the Community Space Challenge (CSC). This is a national initiative funded by the Big Lottery Fund and managed by national charity Catch 22.
Community Space Challenge seeks to inspire disaffected young people who are referred to the project to increase their environmental awareness and complete projects to improve their neighbourhoods e.g. allotment projects, sensory gardens, litter picking.
PALZ (Play And Learn Zone) is a YMCA programme that works with young people in the Allerton / Lower Grange, Newlands and Trident neighbourhoods. The children are aged between 8 – 13 and attend the groups on a weekly basis to provide them with positive and alternative after school activities, engaging them in stimulating and creative themed workshops such as bullying, anti social behaviour, environmental issues, sports activities, self esteem and confidence building. It also hopes to reduce social exclusion, risk factors and anti-social behaviour and increase school attendance and protective factors that deter young people from offending.
The CSC will be delivered as part of the overall PALZ programme and the specific environmental projects will be decided by the young people, though influenced by broader community input. The young people have a remit to develop links with established community groups and activities in the area.
The Community Space Challenge programme will run over a 5 year period: 2007 -2012 .
CSC Launch - August 2008 was the official CSC Launch in Bradford.
Contact: 01274 513109 or 01274 513102 email: [email protected]