(text) Route 81 Youth Project (text) Centre 81 Old School Road Argyll & Bute (text) G84 0AT (text) Mrs Shona Smith (text) Manager of Centre 81 (text) 01436 810 307 (text) 07702 869 543 (text) [email protected] (text) (text) (text) (NB. This form may be completed on-screen, printed, signed then sent back by mail) NB. This form may be completed on-screen, printed, signed then sent back by mail (Clear form) Clear form (checkbox) Checked (checkbox) Checked (checkbox) Unchecked (checkbox) Checked (checkbox) Unchecked (checkbox) Unchecked (checkbox) Unchecked (text) SC035197 (text) SC295004 (text) Route 81 Youth Project started in 2003 to respond to the lack of provision for young people in the local area, Garelochhead and the surrounding Peninsula. There were no services for young people at the time and very limited public transport provision into the nearest town, . After years of planning, in 2008 Route 81 Youth Project secured enough capital funding to purchase and refurbish the former Garelochhead Outdoor Centre to serve as a youth hub and community centre to meet the needs of the area� s wider population. Since the Centre opened in 2011, the main charitable activities of the organisation have developed to account for managing this new facility. The main aim remains to provide services, activities and facilities for young people in the area, however this is now complemented by the aim to meet the needs of the wider community and to promote a reduction in deprivation, improvement in quality of life, an increase in social cohesion and alleviation of rural isolation. Centre 81 is open to all within the local community and provides a home for the Youth Project which runs a youth hub which provides two to three regular weekly drop-in sessions with recreational space and a structured programme of activities for a membership of almost 200 young people. The Centre also houses community space, a gym, a caf� and an IT room and provides services that were previously missing from the area in addition to local employment and training opportunities. (text) 2003 (text) Yes (text) (text) Since commencing Route 81 Youth Project in 2003, we have had a significant impact on addressing anti-social behaviour amongst young people in the community in addition to providing them with services, facilities and opportunities to fulfill their potential and engage in meaningful activities which can enable them to make positive choices for their future. The local police service have commented on the impact of the project on reducing rural youth crime in the area and have held the project up as an example of best practice. However, our biggest impact on the community has occurred since we opened Centre 81 in March 2011. There was previously a serious lack of community facilities in the area, with the focus being on provision of a hall to accommodate local groups but no real focus for social opportunities and service delivery. In a remote rural community, it is essential for even simple provision such as a community cafe to meet local needs. The cafe and community gym have become the most used elements of the Centre and have helped to promote new friendships, healthier lifestyles and opportunities for volunteering and training. This, in turn, has helped to develop new community services such as a mothers and toddlers group. (text) 200 young people and 1650 members of the wider community. (text) Route 81 Youth Project is currently funded by the Big Lottery Fund: Survive and Thrive and by Young Start. (text) Route 81 Youth Project was established nine years ago as a result of research conducted with young people in 2003 which identified a serious lack of appropriate amenities and facilities available locally. Rural deprivation was identified as a significant barrier to the participation and engagement of young people. Limited provision for young people is available in the area with very few small clubs operating in the wider area. Route 81 is by far the largest and most high-profile community youth project in the area and the only one of its type offering this particular scale of activities, mentoring support and personal development opportunities which it provides. Without Route 81, issues of anti-social behaviour, disengagement and the effects of rural deprivation on young people would return. In addition, the community provision that is available within Centre 81 addresses the needs and rurality issues facing the wider community. Garelochhead and the are considered to be relatively remote (within the 10% most access deprived areas in according to the SIMD 2009) and before Centre 81 there was very limited community provision. Consultation at the time identified need for somewhere for people to meet socially and the considerable usage of both the gym and caf� since opening have demonstrated demand for these activities. Garelochhead� s location adjacent to HM Clyde Naval Base also means that there are people coming into the community on a regular basis at risk of isolation who don� t know anyone, often with a partner away on military service for long periods of time. Route 81 Youth Project has made significant inroads into addressing this type of isolation amongst adults and young people in the community through the Youth Project and through Centre 81. (text) The grant will be used towards the salary costs of core staff of Route 81 Youth Project which includes the youth project element and Centre 81, over the period of one year. The Project has made significant improvements to the quality of life and opportunities for young people and the wider community in this part of . Many of the young people would not otherwise have been able to fulfil their potential in this way and there would be considerably higher incidences of rural isolation throughout the community. To be able to offer this essential service to the local community in a wholly inclusive way requires ongoing financial support which cannot be provided through income generating activities alone. Route 81 therefore currently requires to secure grant funding towards project staffing and running costs on an ongoing basis. (There are plans to introduce more income generating activities over the coming year which will help to create a more sustainable social enterprise which can fulfill its aims without the need for ongoing grant funding in future, however these are outwith the scope of this application.) If successful in this application to the Trusthouse Charitable Foundation, the grant will therefore be used to cover the following costs: -Part-funding for salary of Centre Manager; -Part-funding for salary of Senior Youth Work Co-ordinator. This, in turn, will allow for Route 81 to continue delivering the essential services, activities and provision to this rural community as outlined elsewhere in the application. (text) (text) We currently engage widely within the local community. Young people from across the Rosneath Peninsula join our project through recommendations from peers and friends, through links we have with the local secondary school and through local promotion and advertising. There are numerous routes for engagement including membership of the Project, volunteering opportunities and attending events. Similarly, adults can get involved through volunteering, accessing service provision and attending events. (text) Route 81 has also developed quality partnership activities with other local agencies including Choose Life, (monthly band/gig nights to disseminate information on suicide prevention), Get Connected, a local online youth information resource maintained by young people, and NHS Argyll with whom Route 81 ran a very successful pre-exam � stressbuster � weekend. Route 81 and Centre 81 have very close links with Helensburgh and Lomond Carers through there adult carers group and there young carers group. Centre 81 develops a quality fitness programme through The Helensburgh Adult Learning Centre and with the NHS to provide fitness classes. (text) The project will benefit 240 young people and 2100 wider community members. (text) � 9,999 (text) � 64.000 (text) � 54,001 (text) This project is also being funded by Route 81 Youth Project, Big Lottery: Survive and Thrive and Young Start. (text) We regularly monitor and review the progress of the organsiation to ensure that we are continually meeting our aims and objectives. In terms of this application, the following milestones have been set to judge success: -Engaging with 40 new/additional young people; -Engaging with 450 new/additional adults within the community. (text)