Patchway Town Council, at their meeting on Tuesday 20th June 2023, have agreed £5000 worth of funding towards youth work in Patchway, which benefits the residents of Patchway and Charlton Hayes.
£2500 has been awarded to FACE for improvements to Patchway Youth Centre. This budget will be ringfenced by Patchway Town Council until equipment has been identified by FACE for use in the youth centre. FACE have recently taken over the youth work in Patchway and it has been going from strength to strength with the use of detached and in centre work.
A further £2500 has been awarded to South Gloucestershire Council Playscheme towards their summer playscheme which will be based at Coniston Community Centre. The South Gloucestershire Playscheme aims to provide a free play scheme for 5-11 year olds during the Summer, Christmas and Easter holidays across South Gloucestershire, in priority neighbourhoods and areas with high levels of deprivation. They do this through providing free activities and events for young people. The playscheme in Patchway is for Patchway and Charlton Hayes residents and is always highly utilised. Last summer, the Patchway location for 5-11 year olds was fully booked in under 24 hours of the booking system going live, with many parents joining the waiting list for spaces. Last summer, in Patchway, there were 20 sessions which were well attended by young people both from Patchway and Charlton Hayes.
The Town Council’s decision to award £2500 to the playscheme came after Patchway Town Council’s Youth Work Working Party met to decide on the funding request. The working party agreed to fund 50% of the request (£2500) and wrote to South Gloucestershire Playscheme to ask Charlton Hayes Parish Council to contribute the same amount, which they declined to do so at their meeting on 20th June 2023. Due to the formation of the Charlton Hayes Parish, Patchway Town Council’s Council Tax Base has been severely cut by 44%, which is why only a reduced amount could be paid this year.
Following on from the meetings, district Councillor for Charlton and Cribbs, Cllr Sam Scott has agreed to fund £250 from his Member Award Funding and Mayor of Patchway, Cllr Dayley Lawrence along with the Town Clerk have agreed to award a further £250 to the playscheme to ensure the provision remains for young people both in Patchway and Charlton Hayes.
On the commitment to youth work, Mayor of Patchway Cllr Dayley Lawrence stated ‘It is vitally important that Patchway Town Council supports these two organisations who do so much for the young people on our doorstep. FACE provide youth work at a high level for 11 year old’s and over, whilst the South Gloucestershire Playscheme provide a unique scheme for those under 11 in Patchway and Charlton Hayes. This funding shows that Patchway Town Council are totally committed to our young people and we will do everything we can as a Council to ensure that this service remains in Patchway for residents here and in Charlton Hayes. Our totally free sport fundays were open to young people in both parishes and our young people deserve a commitment from both Council’s for their future. I am proud that as a Town Council we have awarded £5250 for youth work already this year and I am looking forward to seeing how this will be invested for our young people. Whether they live in Patchway or Charlton Hayes, our young people do not understand the separation of the parishes and should not be penalised for attending a scheme in Patchway. I would like to say thank you to my fellow Patchway Town Councillors and Officers for ensuring this vital funding is secured’.
