A Newport youth hub project designed to reduce anti-social behaviour, which could open in the former shopmobility premises in the town centre, has been given a vote of confidence by Newport & Carisbrooke Community Council.
‘The Port’ is a proposal for an arts and creativity centre based at 64 South Street – next to the toilets – which would offer young people pop-up workshops in a space where they can feel understood, inspired and safe.
Isle of Wight Council project manager Fiona Capewell and Beth Kidd, a representative from property consultants ERMC Ltd, presented the plan to Newport & Carisbrooke Community Council’s (NCCC) Full Council meeting on Tuesday evening.
NCCC councillors voted unanimously to support the project – mainly in the form of being a ‘formal leaseholder’ of the 64 South Street building, when needed – and to send any ‘grant applications’ to funding organisations that might be necessary.
The Port is inspired by academic research from the United States showing the more young people engage with the arts, the less likely they are to report being engaged in anti-social behaviour. It aims to unleash the creativity and literacy of the Isle of Wight’s younger generation all the while giving relief to the Island’s police force.
Proposed workshops include sessions on DJ decking, poetry and article writing.
The Port would also host an acoustic open mic night once a month, a book club swap station and a bookable workspace.
Fiona Capewell said:
“Many young people and other residents feel unsafe in bus station, Church Litten area because of the level of anti-social behaviour – it’s identified by the police as an ASB hotspot – so we really wanted to do something to tackle that.”
Beth Kidd added:
“I’m a creative, I’m a musician seeing it first hand. I teach on a Saturday rock school programme delivered from Platform One which is extremely popular on the Island amongst young people.
“And seeing how that can affect young people positively is a really nice thing to be able to do.”
Councillor Matthew Price said:
“Fantastic, it’s been an ambition of this council to do something with that building – we’ve tried and tried for many years.
“It is a really good location for it to be used for something that’s going to increase the youth provision that’s got to be built.”
Great news, youth clubs use to work in the past.
Many more are needed around the island.
Great news. Where did Youth Clubs go anyway? What are young people supposed to do in the evenings? They need somewhere safe and free to meet up with adults nearby if needed. I hope that this is pushed through and done well. I my experience, grateful parents often volunteer to help run these things.
Nice but too late our scum today will ruin it vape sell/bye drugs..
What was wrong with the old youth club in Lower St James Street?
Do people honestly believe that the feral youth causing anti-social behaviour in towns across the Island are going to be swayed to go to a Youth Club by the thought of ‘poetry and the Arts and a book club swap station’?
Have those suggesting this actually met any of these anti-social youths?
I mean, seriously, poetry? Book Clubs?
Yes, some young people will turn up, but they definitely won’t be the out of control, feral youths who are causing the problems.