Area priorities:
- Sustainable employment with a focus on upskilling opportunities and collaboration with our employment coaches.
- Improve youth provision within the area.
- Improve customer satisfaction within our communities by providing opportunities for everyone to share their thought and feedback through projects and community action days .
- Focused interventions to help support our customers and communities with the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
- Work with local partners to focus on supporting our customers with effective mental health management, with a specific focus on access to physical exercise.
- Work with local agencies and the police to tackle anti-social behaviour within our communities.
We are currently working closely with partners to investigate how we can expand youth provision and create a central location for the local community. Furthermore, we are working with our internal colleagues in housing to identify and address key areas that require improvements.
Who is your Community Development Officer?
Jamie Rawle is the Community Development Officer for Weymouth. He joined the Community team in 2024, having previously spent five years working in our Independent Living team.
I enjoy being a community development officer because it allows me to make a positive impact on our customers and their communities. The role gives me the opportunity to engage directly with customers and implement different initiatives based on community feedback. Each day brings fresh ideas, creativity, and problem-solving, which keeps me motivated. I also have the chance to collaborate with new partners who are already offering vital support to the community.
You can contact Jamie on Jamie.Rawle@abri.co.uk
What's going on in Bridgwater?
- Sports and Fun at Sydenham
Dates of projects: 28th & 30st October
Abri and Youth Unlimited are working in partnership to deliver a range of sports activities alongside the youth service to provide young people aged between 8-15 the opportunity to learn new skills. This is a free service in hope to understand more about the needs for sports and fitness for young people - Bridgwater Bakeoff
When: Thursday October
Time: 10:00 – 14:00
Where: Activity Warehouse, East Quay Bridgwater
Come along and take part in our 3-session competition with the chance to win one is open to anyone over the age of 16. Application can be in pairs or individual. There will be a theme each session. Ingredients and equipment will be provided. - October Half Term Activity Day
Including a session learning Krav Maga (self-defence techniques that draws from Aikido, Judo, Karate, Boxing, and Wrestling), pumpkin making and other crafts plus a free lunch for anyone aged 8-15.
You said, we did
You said:
You told us, that there were not enough youth provisions in the town, and that young people had nowhere to go.
We did:
We identified a local partner, Youth Unlimited to deliver a series of youth related activities throughout the summer holidays. Overall the project worked with an average of 20 young people each session and welcomed 51 in total over the summer. Everyone that took part told us they told us they would love more to do, during the summer holidays. The project also enabled an opportunity for the younger community to speak with youth workers about a range of concerns that affect the younger community.
We recognise the importance of sustained youth provision, we are continuing our work with partners to see how we can sustain this in the future.
You said:
We carried out a community action day survey, you told us there was a lot of stray cats on the estate and some concerns around drug ASB in the area
We did:
On delivering the action day, we invited the RSCPCA and Somerset Drugs and Alcohol services to come and share expert advise to support and address some of the community concerns
Summer Fun at Sydenham
Both the community and local youth providers highlighted a gap in youth provision across Bridgwater. Together we recognised that additional activities were required to provide somewhere they can go throughout the school holidays, to feel safe and supported. We know times are hard with the cost of living, this is also compounded with high levels of deprivation throughout Bridgwater.
We felt this project was also an opportunity to support food poverty, isolation, health and wellbeing, and social engagement. The youth centre offered a variety of activities which encouraged the young people to learn new skills and develop existing ones. Community Police and a youth justice worker also attended, providing positive feedback regarding the delivery and youth engagement.
This offered an opportunity for the professionals to discuss issues like antisocial behaviour (ASB) and how young people can approach the police if they feel scared or need to report anything. Feedback from the young people was overwhelmingly positive, with all 50 young people stating they enjoyed the program and would attend again if it were offered. Many mentioned that, without the youth centre, they would have likely stayed at home or spent time with just one friend. The program made a significant impact over the summer, helping participants learn essential life skills like cooking, reading bus timetables, managing finances, and developing friendships, all while supporting their mental health.
Successes
- 25 people were supported into employment in Bridgwater
- Community Action Day in Manley Gardens / Riversmead Walk (August 2024)
- 20 customers attended
- 5 repairs reported
- Removed x2 flatbeds worth of green waste
- Carried out a litter pick, collecting x4 bags of rubbish
