By Roy Peach, Youth Leader

As the world slowly returns to ‘normal’, Youth Club prepares to meet with you face to face. So what’s happening?

By now, a lot of the youth club members know what’s happening as I’ve been talking about it in VYC over the past few weeks, and if you’ve not checked out the interview on our new Facebook page, please do.

Next Walkabout:
tbc

Next F2F (Bubble 1):

What’s happening?

From Thursday 16th July, our KYC:OUT programme commenced. We have two strands – Walkabout and F2F/Playout.

What is Walkabout?
Exactly what it sounds like. Members of the team are out and about on the streets able to meet up with young people. You do not need to be a member of youth club, you can be a previous member, someone who wants to be involved, and so on.

What is F2F/Playout?
Face to Face (or Playout) is where we meet in bubbles to play games, have a chat, whatever you fancy usually at the park.

What to expect on Walkabout

There will always be two team members on duty and they will follow a set route around the village. As the club is central to the village, one route is called Forest Side and the other route is called Playfield. The adults will follow their set route and you can meet them at key locations on the route, but you must follow the safety guidelines below.

Where can I meet you?

Forest Side Route:- The planned route is along Kennington Road to the mini roundabout, up Upper Road to Forest Side, then along to Edward Road. Meeting points are planned for outside Best One (7.10pm), by the mini roundabout (but around the corner on Upper Road; 7.25pm), Forest Side playing field (7.40pm), and then the top of Edward Road; 8.05pm).

Playfield Route:- The planned route is along The Avenue, down Poplar Grove, up Manor Grove, and back along The Avenue. Meeting points are planned for Poplar Grove/Meadow View ‘triangle’ (7.15pm), Edward Road (7.40pm), and St Swithun’s School (8.10pm).

How long are you at the meeting points?

We’ll aim to stay at each for about 10-15 minutes. We will set out from the club building at 7pm and aim to finish by 9pm at the very latest.

Can I walk with you?

We have set meeting points for a reason and whilst we may not force you away from us if you want to walk, please be aware that the teams will require a bit of their own time between meeting points to discuss matters, so please respect this. We therefore ask that if you can come to a meeting point and then move on, this would be appreciated.

What happens at F2F/Playout?
We play games and do what you want really. We currently have one bubble running but are aiming to open another bubble soon.

The Adults

Whether on Walkabout or F2F/Playout, the adults are all KYC adults. They are safeguarding trained, some have first aid certificates, and they will vary each time we come out. They will be easily identifiable. We have our uniform tops, new hi-viz jackets, and ID. If an adult doesn’t have these, then they’re not on duty or part of the club. Our adults will be equipped with various items for their own safety and this includes PPE (safety equipment). They are likely to be wearing masks. This is for your protection. Please wear yours to protect us. The adults are crossing ‘bubble boundaries’ so we have to be safe.

What can I talk to you about?

Anything. Absolutely anything. The weather, your hobbies, how you are feeling, anything. If we can help, we’ll help. If we can’t, we’ll do our best to find a way to.

How long is this going on for?

At the moment, this is the start of us restarting some sort of face to face youth work so will be the norm for a while. Hopefully in the not too distant future, we’ll be able to get back to the building as well.

Walkabout. If I’m on one route but you’re not visiting that route this week, can I still come along?

Yes. Our recommendation though is if you have a bicycle, cycle to a meeting point and if it’s quiet, stay, but be prepared to move on or head home if it’s busy as our priority is to the young people in that side of the village for that walkabout. Remember, if you are really stuck and need to talk to us, there’s the private Facebook group, the wellbeing email hotline, and you can always call and talk to one of the adults.

F2F/Playout. Can I just turn up?
Afraid not. We have to keep everyone safe and we have strict risk assessments and guidelines in place. If you are in a bubble, you will know when to turn up.

SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

Please ensure you understand and read these guidelines before turning up to any sessions.

• Tell an adult. Let them know you want to come and meet us and where you’re going to meet us.
• Dress appropriately. If it’s raining, bring a coat. If it’s warm, shorts may be better.
• Water. You may want to bring water. We are not providing refreshments.
• Safety gear. If you have a mask, please bring it and wear it. Please also bring hand sanitiser if you have it. Leaders cannot share resources.
• Social distancing. We ask that you aim to follow the 2 metre rule. 1 metre is the minimum. Do not be offended if we ask you to move away or separate.
• Grouping. Do not gather in large groups on Walkabout. If there are more than about six, please move on to another point or try to catch us along the route.
• Be sensible. Do not run across roads, do not spill on to roads, do not block people’s houses or the paths. Keep the noise down.
• COVID symptoms. If you or a family member has the symptoms of COVID, you should remain at home.

THE POLICE ARE AWARE THAT YOUTH WORK IS HAPPENING ON THE STREETS OF KENNINGTON. WHETHER YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE CLUB OR NOT, YOU ARE REPRESENTING THE YOUTH OF KENNINGTON, YOUR FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITY. PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL. IF YOU DECIDE TO BREAK THE LAW, YOUTH CLUB WILL DO WHAT IS RIGHT, AND THAT DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN SIDING WITH YOU.

Parents/Carers: Please note that whilst Kennington Youth Club normally act as loco parentis, it is difficult to monitor this on the streets. Please assume that whilst we will do our utmost to support the young people if they meet up with us, we cannot be held responsible for their behaviour and anything that may happen whilst outdoors in this environment on Walkabout. F2F/Playout is slightly different.