Seminar

Developing cross sectoral youth policy on local level

Lithuania, 21 to 25 march 2011

Local youth policy Tienen

Local Youth work

Tienen:

Number of children and adolescents <25 years: 8.129

Tienen has 24 private youth organizations:

• 10 Youth movements (for example: scouting, Chiro)

• 8 Youth organisations (for example: youth choir, youth theater )

• 1 Youth club

• 1 Playground organisation (for disabled children)

• 4 political youth associations

All these youth organizations together have ± 1600 members

All these youth organizations are run by volunteers.

Meet the local youth service

Local youth service Tienen has an enthousiastic staff of 6 people

Meet the local youth service

current youth centre future leisure centre

Local youth policy

MISSION

• starting interaction and participation with children and adolescents

• tailored to needs and requirements

• widest possible support of existing private youth initiatives

• Taking initiative in gaps, stimulate, daring to innovate but also daring to drop

• integrated with other policies

• with particular attention to disadvantaged children and young people

Local youth policy

1. Youth work support

• Financial support

• Logistic support (copy service, transport)

• Rental service

• Infrastructural support (meeting rooms,…)

• Information, communication

• Juridical support (help with administration, questions)

• Technical support (safety playgrounds)

• Courses

Local youth policy

2. Organising additional local youth initiatives, complementary to the

private youth initiatives

• Playground activities during school holidays

• Childcare (3+)

• Programming workshops during the year

• Lots of (big) events (outdoor play event, cultural event, concerts,…)

• rehearsal rooms / promoting local talent

• Youth leader course

• Specific neighbourhood activities (disadvantaged children / youngsters)

• Playing with language

Local youth policy

3. Encouraging continued involvement and participation

• Supporting the youth council

• Permanent and informal participation (in policy, renewal playground but also small talk)

• Participation in other policy areas: culture, environment, urban planning

• Feedback from decisions of the council to children and adolescents

• Informing the local government about the needs and the wants

• Youth information policy (website, mailings, introducing to local socialorganisations, facebook,…)

Local youth policy

4. Creating, promoting and controlling networks

• Knowledge of the full range of leisure activities related to children and youth in the municipality.

• Networks between different administrative services: sports services, cultural services, libraries, urban planning, ... (consultations, joint act. ...)

• Networking with local organisations concerning youth= HORIZONTAL NETWORKING

Contact with provincial level, Flemish level, VVJ, ..= VERTICAL NETWORKING

Local youth policy

5. Support and advise the council in developing and implementing a localyouth policy

• Preparing youth budget

• Preparing youth policy plan

• writing operational reports

• Implementing policy

6. Other

• Playground areas

• upbringing support

• …