Youth Alive is a local charity and was set up in 2005 to support young people. The charity has been funded by BBC Children in Need as well as other pockets of funding from various funding bodies including Holywood Trust, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Lloyds TSB, Mentor UK Foundation, Youth Link Scotland. NHS Dumfriesand Galloway.
The project works out of a youth centre based in a wing of an old Benedictine convent (Incidentally the very convent that was used to film the movie Magdalene Sisters directed by Peter Mullen and stared Geraldine McEwen) and boast its own authentic looking Dry Bar, Comfortable lounge, Dance Studio, Computer suite, Games Table room and we have the use of the large hall in the building for indoor games.
The weekly activities include Monday night activity night, Wednesday is Hip Hop and Street Dancing and Soar with Your Strengths. We have a Nintendo Wii and an X box 360 as well as various games including Guitar Hero, Lips and many other games.
We work in schools with our award winning programme PARTY, training young people in the dangers of alcohol misuse and helping them to make informed choices in the future.
Most of the groups are set up to meet the desires and needs of the young people and have a purpose. For example the football team is set up to target young people who have been involved in or at risk of being involved in anti social behavior as a diversionary activity. Hip Hop and Street dance was set up to encourage young men and women to become more active, Girls of Power was set up to informally educate young women to take care of their sexual health. Our mission statement is to Reach Root and Strengthen young people in the Dumfries and Galloway area. This means we engage with young people we, listen to them, we encourage them to participate in developing and delivering groups that meet their needs. We root them by providing a safe place to belong and be nurtured, we strengthen them by helping to increase their expectations and aspirations of life, provide opportunities to develop their interests and gifting, training to build their human capacity and we encourage them towards their full potential in an atmosphere that is non judgmental.
All our workers and volunteers are approved by social services through the Disclosure Scotland Enhanced check system.
If you are in first year at school up to age 21, please come along to any of our groups and you will be made so welcome. The main focus of the organization is to have fun and enjoy life.
Please browse through our website and see if anything appeals to you. Give us a call on 01387 259257 if there's anything you would like to ask.
Blessings
Anne Hughes
Youth Development Worker
There is a 17 seater mini bus that can pick up and drop of young people after each group, free of charge. If you would like a lift please let us know.
