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 – Thursday 4:30-6pm. The club itself is split into two parts 45 mins of supported learning and 45 mins of free time that incorporates skating or other fun activities. The club is ran by two youth workers each day and is supported by several volunteers who where 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 see’s 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

The computing classes that are run at the factory are slow paced and aimed at those with little or no computing experience. The programme runs along a standard format that incorporates.

Beginners Course

Week 1 - Switch On, Mouse Skills, Introduction

Week 2 - The Desktop and Windows

Week 3 - Word Processing

Week 4 - Word Processing

Week 5 - Word Processing

Week 6 - Internet Introduction

Week 7 - The Internet

Week 8 - E-mails

Week 9 - Shopping Online

Week 10 - Making Cards and Labels

Internet Course

Week 1 - Get more from Google, Searching Online

Week 2 - Shop Safely Online

Week 3 - Buying Music, Your Pictures

Week 4 - Downloads and Media Player

Week 5 - Common Queries, Jargon Buster

 However at present a second computing class is running and this has 9 participants who have been attending for almost two years and are now concentrating on 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.