Youth service

A youth zone provides young people somewhere to go in the evenings that is safe, where they can enjoy time with friends, peers and meet new people. It is a place to chill out, have fun and take part in weekly activities such as sports, dance, arts and craft, graffiti art, healthy cooking, and recreational activities. Young people are encouraged to get involved in workshops to learn new skills and take part in new exciting opportunities. Young people participate and have a voice in the programme planning of events and activities.

Choices Project in Chester, Ellesmere Port, Northwich, and Winsford

Choices provide young people with a safe and welcoming environment to socialise with their friends, peers and to meet new people. We provide tailored programme plans that meet the needs of the young people. We encourage engagement and participation in developing social skills, life skills and independent living, such as personal safety, healthy relationships and friendships, healthy cooking, budgeting and recreational activities, arts and craft, music, pool and table tennis. Young people participate and have a voice in the programme planning of events and activities.

Phoenix is a series of youth groups for young people aged 13-19 years in the west Cheshire area who identify as LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay bisexual, trans, plus other identities) or are questioning their sexuality or gender identity. These groups are currently being delivered online.

Detached Youth Work is delivered to young people out on the streets in the local parks, hotspot areas, anywhere where young people hang out.

The aim is to build and establish positive relationships with young people, to then be able to offer support, information, advice and guidance on issue-based topics, such as sexual health and drugs and alcohol, to encourage and motivate young people to make healthy choices and explore their values and beliefs.

The staff team also informs young people of the consequences of risky behaviours including anti-social behaviour (ASB). Young people are also motivated to participate in timely community projects and events to promote young people's community engagement and achievements, encourage aspirations and challenge negative stereotypes.

The Youth Service staff team deliver diversionary events with Community Safety Wardens and Police Colleagues in targeted hotspot areas. The Youth Zones offer young people diversionary activities that promote healthy choices and inform about the consequences of risk-taking behaviours including anti-social behaviour (ASB). The aim is to encourage young people to attend centre-based Youth provision. The zones also promote the Detached Youth Work Team that will engage with the young people, offer positive activities and can offer informal, support, advice and guidance.

The Youth Senate is Cheshire West and Chester's Youth Council. The Youth Senate consults with young people and is our young people's voice at a local, regional and national level, ensuring that what young people think and feel is being listened to when making important decisions that affect them.

The Youth Senate is open to any young people aged from 13 to 25 years, from across the borough, who would like to participate in the project and are interested and passionate about making a difference for young people. The members are invited to represent young people's voice at council meetings and asked to consult with young people on various issues.

Two elected Members of Youth Parliament (MYP) attend the Youth Senate, who are voted for by their peers in MYP school elections across the borough.

Members of Youth Parliament represent the young people's 'voice' at a local and national level. The MYP role leads on campaigns, for example Make Your Mark, attends the House of Commons for a live debate and will participate in meetings key to their role of representing young people across the borough. The role of MYP will run for a period of two years.

The project runs every two years during February and March in schools across the borough. Schools will receive information regarding how a young person can apply for the role as MYP. Young People will need to submit an expression of interest to the Youth Service.

Young People who have expressed an interest will be invited to day event 'Induction and Expectations of the role of MYP'. This day is lead by the current Members of Youth Parliament.

Make Your Mark takes place annually supported by Local Authorities, schools, UK Parliament, and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. This year’s ballot took place from 29 January to 8 March 2024.

UK Youth Parliament’s Make Your Mark gives a unique opportunity to reach out to young people who go on to be opinion formers and leaders of the future. Make Your Mark gives all young people aged 11-18 in the UK the chance to have a say on the biggest issues facing young people.

Our results

The opinions of 10% of our Youth population were gained, which equates to over 3,000 votes. This was achieved by engaging schools, colleges and youth groups who turned libraries and study centres into polling stations. The results are spilt into national, regional, and local authority reports which confirmed that ‘Health and Wellbeing’ is the national biggest issue facing young people.

Picture of Cheshire West and Chesters Youth Senate who supported the uptake of The Survey within our Borough.

Youthforia is a regional event that brings together all other Youth Councils in the north west. The events are held six times a year and delivers one residential.

The young people who attend share local ideas, network and make links with neighbouring Youth Councils. Youthforia members will receive training on topical subjects that young people request; these could include; Internet Safety, Mentoring, and Health and Wellbeing Awareness.

Take Over Challenge is a Children's Commissionaire initiative, launched in 2007, that is fun, imaginative and an exciting activity to encourage organisations across England to open their doors to children and young people to take over adult roles. The project runs in the month of November each year.

In west Cheshire we give young people the opportunity to work with a senior leader within the Council which puts young people into decision-making positions and allows young people to gain a valuable insight into the adult world and gain experience of a workplace, while we can benefit from a fresh perspective on our work and listen to young people's views.