The Somerset Youth Alliance (SYA) has been working closely with Hestercombe Local Community Network (LCN) to improve services for children and young people.  

Together, they set up a dedicated working group focused on what young people need and decided to apply for funding to so that they could undertake research to find out 

As part of the funding application, our team member, Hannah, attended a meeting with Town and Parish Councillors to speak about the importance of youth work. She was joined by a young person who spoke passionately about his experience with the Youth Café in West Monkton. Their story inspired the panel and strengthened the case for investment. 

The application was successful, and the group was awarded £35,000 to continue their research. David Stripp, Chair of the CYP working group, explains:  

“Our intention is to understand the barriers to provision and participation, explore the gaps, and provide solutions which will continue beyond the life of the grant. 

“It’s so good to see parish and town councils and the voluntary sector working together  to address the issue of youth provision and how we can support our young people.” 

Emmaline Kay, LCN Link Worker, describes the important role the SYA has played in supporting this initiative: 

“The Somerset Youth Alliance was key to bringing together a group that were focused on a needs-led solution.  

“The resulting grant was a collective effort but the speed at which the group was able to achieve this was influenced by the expertise, knowledge and support offered by the Director and Development Manager.” 

Thanks to this collaboration, change is already happening, with SYA members including Youth Unlimited, Somerset Youth Theatre CIC, Community Youth Project, and the Boom Box (pictured above) delivering creative, inclusive activities that that are shaped by the voices of young people.