Temporary Closure

The Youth Cafe will be closed for around two weeks, we apologise to EVERY YOUNG PERSON who attends for this disruption and the inconvenience it may cause.
We are aware this is our core programme and the programme you participate in most, again we are very sorry!!!
The reason for the closure is due to reconstruction works and essential maintenance to ensure the facility is as safe and enjoyable as possible for you!!!
While this is happening our staff are working every night developing new policies, procedures, improving monitoring and undertaking further training for the Youth Cafe, this is something that helps with the background work you don’t often get to see happening when the Cafe is open, but it’s something we have to do to show the people who fund us what we are doing well and help us learn from what we don’t do so well.
WE ARE REALLY SORRY FOR DISRUPTING YOUR EVENINGS, BUT WE WILL OPEN AGAIN SOON!!!
If you need to talk to a member of RYAG staff you can still email, phone or text us, or drop into the new building next door between 5pm and 8pm.
If you can’t get hold of us or need to talk to someone confidentially you can call organisations such as childline 0800 11 11 they will answer 24hours a day.

Just @sk 4 a txt

As Part of RYAG's new Information Service for Young People in Rhyl, just @sk for a txt will be launched towards the end of March.

Just @sk.. 4 a Txt is a new free text alert service for young people. Once registered, young people will receive regular alerts about events and activities for young people in Rhyl. To sign up just email justask@ryag.org.uk or call in to the Just @sk InfoShop at the HUB on Wellington Road from April.

Organisations in working with YP in Rhyl will also be able to once a month ask RYAG to send a text message to upto 750 young people on our list following a short vetting procedure.

Just @sk 4 a Txt will form part of a number of just @sk schemes we plan to deliver in a phased approach over the next 12 months including:

Just @sk about Jobs
Just @sk about Training
Just @ask about Grants
Just @sk about Counselling
Just @sk about the Law
Just @sk about Multimedia

Other Just @sk's are currently being looked into around every area of extending entitlement.

JUST @SK US!!!!!

Volunteers wanted!

Are you a qualified youth or community worker, social worker, health worker and want to work with a group like RYAG.

We are currently looking for qualified volunteers to support our Youth Cafe programme.

With the recent swell in numbers of over 50 young people per night visiting our capacity is being streched! if you have some free time during the evenings please contact Wynne Randles for more information.

Please be aware that all volunteers must complete an enhanced CRB and ISA checks, Dependant on current qualifications you may also be asked to undertake further training at RYAG's cost in Child Protection & Safeguarding, Health & Safety, Food Hygiene, Risk Management, Personal Safety, Youth Work and First Aid as a condition of the post.

Whats on the Menu @ Youth Cafe

RYAG have been awarded funding from the Welsh Assembly Governments Department for Public Health and Health Professions to enhance the facilities in the Rhyl Youth Cafe and promote health eating further.
From April 2009 healthy eating sessions will be run twice a week!!

In a brand newly built community kitchen area sessions for up to 12 young people will now have access to a host of new equipment including Kitchen utensils / crockery, smoothie makers, low fat grills, combi oven / baby bellings a Jacket Potato machine
and much more.

With qualified nutrition workers onsite young people will be able to budget, plan and prepare meals for themselves and their peers better than Jamie Oliver himself, well maybe!!!

New funds from Comic Relief

RYAG are pleased to announce that almost £100,000.00 has been awarded to launch an Alcohol intervention programme in Rhyl for up to 50 young people per year over the next three years.
Diversionary activities, educational opportunities and support will be offered to young people at risk of underage drinking and alcohol abuse in an attempt to kerb social street drinking and decrease anti social behaviour involving under 18's in the town.

Engineering @ RYAG

RYAG and the WEA are to pilot a new introduction to engineer programme for young people in Rhyl.
The six week programme culminating in a weekend residential at the WEA Coleg Harlech campus will involve basic skills training alongside a fun introduction to engineering. Those involved will participate in bridge building from scrap wood, designing and creating miniature buildings from paper and office supplies, designing and assembling egg throwing machines, writing and running basic software and using digital media and web development software to monitoring , evaluate and display their work.
It’s hoped the programme will encourage young people to become energised about engineering, science and mathematics when returning to school or informal education.
The pilot will be run for 30 young people who are involved in other RYAG programmes on a voluntary basis.
Leonardo da Vinci quoted “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”

More Litter Picks

RYAG, North Wales Police & Denbighshire County Council will be on the streets again during half term.
Following the No Frills Consultation the three groups have undertaken a number of cleanup days around Rhyl as a temporary measure to help the town look cleaner.

During Feb Half term. The first cleanup is to take place at West Kinmel St car park (TBC) and the second on Rhydwen Drive, from 10am to around 2pm.

Over 60 young people who attend the Youth Cafe have already volunteered to participate in the event.

Funding is currently been sought between RYAG, North Wales Police and North Wales Fire Service to begin a 2 year programme of weekend cleanups focusing on individual streets which will also incorporate the placing of up to 3 skips on each street for 24 hours allowing residents to clear their gardens of materials which could possible find itself in ally's or communal areas.

No Frills Consultation Online

RYAG's "No Frills" consultation document is now available to download from ourwebsite.


Click the link below to download

DOWNLOAD FILE


The feedback report for actions taken on the consultation will be produced in May.

New look approved for the Youth Cafe

RYAG's YouthCafe redevelopment plans have had both planning permission and building regulations confirmed.
The company hopes to begin reconstruction works in 2009.

Rhyl's Revival DVD

watch the full Rhyl's Revival DVD online...





Thanks to Ryan for posting a copy of the film!

got a question? JUST @SK

RYAG are moving closer to developing the first accredited information service in Rhyl with funding from the Childrens and Young Peoples partnership.

We will aim to deliver a town centre based open access information centre for young people aged 10 – 25 who live in the local area. Typical Info-shops across Wales offer printed, electronic, visual and verbal information on Education, Health, Work and Training, Housing, Environment, Law and Rights, Europe, Money, Family and Relationships, Sport, Leisure and more.

We intend to emulate what has worked well in other areas of Wales here in Rhyl. The Rhyl Info shop would have a trained Social Worker, Nurse, Councillor, Youth and Community workers, and experienced advice & guidance practitioners onsite during peak opening times. We plan to open the facility 4 evenings per week as an initial trial, and increase this to 6 evenings in the future, running an open door policy for the first 3 hours of the evening with group sessions or training events and workshops during the final few hours.
We have identified the need for this facility through a range of measures including: Local knowledge reflects that there is NO similar provision anywhere in Rhyl, and all other current information provisions within the town are not open at those times we propose to be. The accessing of vital Info shop services outside of daytime office hours is absolutely vital to the engagement of young people in general, and excluded, disaffected young people in particular. We believe very strongly that delivery mechanisms must be built around the needs of young people themselves.

At RYAG we place a very strong emphasis on youth participation, and we have a strong membership base. Consequently many issues get raised with our workers, and through our youth committee which gives us a sound grounding in the issues facing young people in Rhyl, and their ideas for practical measures that will make a difference to the lives of young people. Working with Rhyl Going Forward, we interviewed 800 young people in Rhyl about what they wanted to see improved in the town. We then further worked with 90 young people in our Youth Café on the findings of the initial consultation. A full report has been prepared by our group and recently released.

We have a very extensive range of partnerships crossing the community, voluntary and statutory sectors. Our communication lines are very open and we regularly receive information from a wide variety of organizations working with young people across Rhyl.

Canllaw Online; who kitemark infoshops exists to develop and support information services for young people in Wales. One of the central aims of our work is to improve access to quality information and advice services for young people. The Canllaw Online QM indicates to young people that they can rely on being given a quality assured service with regards to their information needs and other help and support that they may require.

RYAG is extreamly keen for other groups working with young people to use this facility with us during our opening times, and also to open the facility for thier own use when it would be closed. If you work with young people; or need a new and improved way of getting your service to young people; then please get in touch with us to discuss how we can work together.

All Roads lead to RYAG!

Denbighshire County Council have started work to the corner of Elwy Street and Wellington Road outside our premises.

The works are expected to last 7 weeks, the attached image shows how the new road layout and trafic controls will be when works are finished.

The attached document does not show it; but railings will be placed between the two crossing points outside the Youth Cafe to prevent young people running out into the road.

New Money, UDecide

RYAG and Denbighshire Local Service Board have each contributed £3000 to the first Participatory Budgeting project to take place in Rhyl called UDecide.
With South West Rhyl Communities First, the PB unit and other partners we hope to see grants of up to £750 awarded to local projects.