We are a youth initiated, youth run group supporting the needs of young people in our community, those from other churches and youth from Bulgaria.
Who we are
11 young people aged 14-17 from the RiverDee Community Church who are reaching over 30 young people every week.
Where we're based
Flint, North Wales
When we started
Sep-01
How we started
We wanted to help the many orphaned children and young people in Bulgaria, so we raised £6,000 to travel there and spent time working in an orphanage and in a high school. Our funds were also used to buy specialised beds for children with disabilities.
Our work
We have raised money through various fundraising events and have adopted a child in Senegal. And at home, we set up, run and manage a youth club in Flint ('Venue') where 8-13 year olds can relax, use the facilities and take part in workshops. During the week the 'Venue' is used as a place where young offenders can socialise under supervision.
Future plans
We want to expand the Venue and strengthen our links with the council, YOT and Communities First. We also want to invite locals to run workshops. We would like to organise a second trip, possibly to an African country. Since winning The Philip Lawrence Award in 2006, the group has been more motivated and determined to plan bigger and better projects. One of these projects was Castle Mission. Castle Mission took place in the summer or 2008 and was a four-day event involving and supported by the whole community, which involved a cinema bus, a family fun day, daily youth service and having Venue open every day. Some young people involved received Flintshire volunteer awards for their work in planning, organising and fundraising for the event. The event attracted many young people to Venue, with a total number of 50 in one night. They also held another event in October which featured live music and a friendly football match between the young people and local police officers.
Project website
http://www.riverdeecommunitychurch.org.uk
Venue is having a massive impact on both my life and the young people's lives in Castle Ward. The Venue is an opportunity for us to get to know the community and bridge the gap between the local youth.
Ben Betts, 17, Venue group member
