Community Heroes: Supporting Communities

As part of #ASBAwarenessWeek, we’re highlighting those who are making a difference to communities in Derbyshire.

The Supporting Communities charity has been nominated by our Immediate Justice and Hotspot Policing Manager Becky Clough.

The charity takes their ‘ASB Bus’ to areas suggested by local police teams where young people might be at a loose end each evening.

The bus has games, televisions and spaces for young people to speak to mentors provided by the charity.

Becky Clough said: “The Supporting Communities team genuinely care about the young people they work with and how they can improve their lives.

“The mentors speak to young people to establish what is around in that community, their interests and if able they engage with local areas to set up activities like football clubs or boxing.”

“We’ve been utilising this provision in our ASB hotspots, and the Mobile Youth Sessions are proving a huge success.”

Director of Operations for the Charity, David Walsh said: “It’s a safe space for young people, there’s lots of different games and activities to do on the bus.

“Once they get to know about us, what we do, we can offer out other services that we deliver, which could be the 1-1 work, or they might be struggling in an educational setting or a community setting, so we can offer that support and guidance.

“Rather than just parachute into communities, we want to work with young people, gather their thoughts, feelings and insights so we can take that information back and give it to local partners and say ‘this is what children are saying and what they want in terms of local services.’”

The Mobile Youth Sessions are funded by the Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner, to find out where the sessions are taking place visit the Supporting Communities Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/SupportingCommunitiesCharity/