Initially started by the Mayor, Lisa Farrell and then supported and facilitated by Wiltshire Councillor for Marlborough East, Caroline Thomas, Marlborough will soon have a resident Youth Worker. Cllr Thomas has created a new charity, the Marlborough Area Youth Forum for whom the Youth Worker will act. (See the recruitment ad on marlborough.news).
It’s an important role for the youth of the town. Mayor Lisa has been at the forefront of drive to help the young people in the Marlborough Community for a long time, creating activity and focus for them, and finding and working with some very committed volunteers to help but the creation of this Youth Worker role will make a very big difference. Someone will be there, all the time to help.
Running a successful and active Youth Centre takes time, effort and organisation, and really needs a full time person to make it work.
The position is being funded initially by Marlborough Area Board grant but part of the task for the Youth Worker will be to raise funds, partly directly through activity and calling, but also through successful grant applications of which, potentially there are quite a few. But that all takes work and time which is what the full time Youth Worker will be able to deliver.
A Youth Club currently runs in Marlborough on a Friday evening in the Youth Centre by the Recreation Ground, offering a hot meal and tuck shop along with a variety of activities. But the volunteers are struggling to open the club, cook, organise activities and still have time with youngsters in need of a quiet conversation. It needs a Youth Worker to help bring new and existing activities together, which is exactly what this role will create.
“Initially it’s a one year contract” explained Cllr Thomas, “but a key part of the role will be fundraising, not just for the role itself, and bringing some of those volunteers and participants into achieving this as well” she added. “This will give them skills and focus that will be very useful and relevant in future life as well as a creating a real sense of getting something done.” This will ensure that the role of Marlborough’s Community Youth Worker is a long term position.
It’s not just a ‘Marlborough’ need. Outside the main town, in the local villages the need to support and tackle similar problems and to run or help set up youth clubs is very real. Councillor Thomas gave the example of Aldbourne: “‘The Junction’ in Aldbourne is a fantastic example to build on” she said.
To make this work, as noted above the Marlborough Area Youth Forum has been established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (Registration number 1199626) which will provide a caring employment and support structure for a Youth Worker, with Mayor Lisa, Cllr Thomas and Town Councillor (and former Mayor) Mervyn Hall as trustees.
