Bringing the youth club together to enjoy the end of the week and have some fun to kick-start the weekend. Friday night youth club opens at 5pm and ends at 8pm, it is a drop-in programme so young people can rock up at any point in the session.
Usually, there will be music and games, dinner served so we can eat together and the sports hall available for the last hour.
Being in the same room with music and multiple activities creates a fun atmosphere that feels different to other parts of the programme. Breaking up the evening and eating in the middle of the session gives an opportunity for chats and discussions and brings the whole youth club together with the delivery team.
The start of the night is typically ‘high energy’, although there’s always a chance to have a quiet chat in the corner of a glass of squash. We sit and eat together, the chaos subsides and the mood in the room is more jovial than raucous.
The Friday programme has a lot of scopes for young people to lead. Running games, cooking for everyone, packing away and giving the grand tour to new members are done by young people.
The last hour is in the sports hall, dodgeball is among the favourite games to play.
We recognise that young people need safe spaces to hang out, make new friends and try new things. And they should be able to do this for free. It’s as simple as that.
