Update from the Wolvercote Young People’s Club

We had an amazing summer programme. Four weeks of four full days of sports, cooking, and craft. Weekly trips to bowling, paddleboarding, and paintballing. Numbers crept up and it was exciting to see a hive of activity in the heart of the community. On the hottest days we had water fights and booked an ice cream van especially for us.

We bid a fond farewell to our Administrator, Julie Hamilton, who retired after five years. Temporarily we gratefully welcomed back Lynda Burns, a previous mainstay of the club, to keep the stability whilst we reappointed. WYPC now has a new Administrator, Cathy Foot, who has a wealth of experience working for local charities and is rapidly finding her feet. Our Senior Youth Worker, Lindsay Daniel, moved on too. She has done so much for the club, street work, being in Cherwell school, and designing exciting programmes with her team. We would not be in as strong a position without her input.

Despite challenges faced, we’ve been focusing and reflecting recently on the quality of our work and strengthening the relationships we have with our members. Covid had a massive impact on youth services with a large proportion of organisations closing, so the fact we’re able to keep providing for young people locally (and across Oxford, because people do travel to us) is great. We’ve had young people try baking for the first time (some who’ve never cracked an egg), boosted confidence levels, and accepted everyone for who they are. Through our partnership work, we have been able to offer free workshops in theatre and Parkour. Our membership increases weekly, and October half term saw the greatest number of young people attend – this shows the benefits of a reliable team of youth workers, and we’re fortunate to have a great team!