Youth and Support Services

The Factory Skatepark is committed to creating a safe environment for all children and young people, and encourages healthy lifestyle choices, educational attainment, and life long learning. This has resulted in the Skatepark’s  youth and community programme. At present this consists of a homework club 4 nights a week, a youth club 3 nights a week and twice weekly computing for beginners classes aimed at senior citizens.

Homework Club

The Homework club is aimed at primary school children who would like support when doing their homework. The club runs Monday to Thursday 4.30pm to 6.00pm. The club itself is split into two parts 45 minutes of supported learning and 45 minutes of free time that incorporates skating or other fun activities. The club is run by two youth workers each day and is supported by several volunteers who were at one time themselves members of the club.

Youth Club

The Factory’s youth club runs on a Monday and Wednesday from 6-8pm during school term time. Each evening sees different activities take place ranging from hip hop dancing and graffiti art classes to sport and games evening. Each Friday 22 Young People from the local area are given the opportunity to hire equipment and use the park between 6-8pm this allows those whom often come from C.R.F areas the opportunity to access the park on a weekly basis.

Computing Classes

Our computing classes are ideal for the elderly who are looking to divide their digital gap. They are ran at a slow pace and aimed at those with little or no computing experience.

The programme runs along a standard format that incorporates the following:

Beginners Course

• Switch On, Mouse Skills, Introduction

• The Desktop and Windows

• Word Processing

• Internet Introduction

• The Internet

• E-mails

• Shopping Online

• Making Cards and Labels

Internet Course

• Get more from Google - Online Searching

• Shop Safely Online

• Buying Music, Your Pictures

• Downloads and Media Player

• Common Queries, Jargon Buster

Intermediate Course

• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Powerpoint)

• Introduction to Digital Photography

Volunteer Programme

The Factory also runs a volunteer programme that incorporates many differing strands and with many different partners, however the main thrust is aimed at empowering young people to make a difference and allowing them the opportunity to learn skills that will help them in later life. To this end there are opportunities available to all in both the sport and youth fields with sport volunteers being encouraged to partake in the in-house sports leader award, that gives them on successful completion a nationally recognised qualification.