Youth Clubs

Many kids complain that there isn't enough to do and many adults are concerned that young people with nowhere to go and nothing to do will cause trouble. One solution to this issue is to set up a local youth club. Offering young people an informal environment where they can hang out and do activities creates a sense of belonging and provides those who come with an opportunity to take responsibility for their club and their community. The adults involved in the club become role models and engender mutual respect between the generations. The young people pick up the values of the club, including spirit of volunteering, and as they get older they may choose to take on an active leadership role.

How to Set Up a Voluntary Youth Club

The idea of setting up a youth club may seem somewhat overwhelming, but it’s actually relatively straightforward. This is how to do it.

Getting Started

To set up a youth club you need at least two, and preferable three committed adults, a venue, and a group of young people. It's often easiest to gather a group together quite informally by word of mouth. Decide what day(s) the club will run on, what age group it is for, the timing of the sessions, and when there will be breaks, for example during school holidays. In some areas the school holidays may be the most important time to have a club, in others there may be too many people away to make it worth running.

Premises

The venue might be a community hall or sports pavilion. It really helps to have secure storage on site and it is worth planning this at the outset. Find out what the hourly rent is. Some community halls charge local groups less than private individuals. Some local authorities are prepared to give rent-free periods, but if they do, make sure you know what the rent will be when that period runs out.

Get to know the management committee or site manager, and the other users. Explain how the club will work; make sure they understand that young people are lively and active; point out the benefits of the club to community. Tell them that you will do your best to leave the venue as you find it, but if there are any niggles please would they sort them out directly with you; give them your phone number. While the club is new, try to visit the premises when the next users are in, or phone the manager/next user to check that everything is OK. Be friendly and flexible even when others don’t seem to be!

Support

Your local association for voluntary youth clubs will give you support and advice. The association will tell you how to set up a club and give you a draft constitution and policies that you can adapt. Once you have joined the association they will administer Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checking of volunteers for you and tell you how to get insurance. They will offer training courses and may be able to provide some staff to help you in the first few weeks.

Constitution and Policies

In order to get insurance, to raise funds or to hire premises you are likely to need a constitution and policies. Keep what you write simple and relevant to your situation. Ask your local association of youth clubs for drafts you can adapt. You may also want to take some ideas from the documents below.

Youth Club Constitution
Youth Club Policies
Youth Club Risk Assessment

Committee

The committee should have a Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. The Chairperson needs to have the oomph to make the club happen and keep it going. The Secretary needs to be quite organised, preferably have access to a computer, and be prepared to keep any records and paperwork up to date. The Treasurer needs to be honest, reliable and good with figures. Whilst each of the three may be a volunteer youth leader at the club, they do not have to be. Other committee members can include young people and parents.

Volunteers

The key to making a club sustainable is to have enough volunteers. While the club may initially rely on a few committed people, aim to build a wide base of helpers from which the next wave of committed volunteers can be drawn. Plan to have a volunteer leader and co-leader for each session, and a rota of parent helpers. The regular volunteers need to be CRB checked; occasional helpers do not, as long as someone who is CRB checked supervises them. Notice which parent helpers get on well with youngsters and are willing to take responsibility. Encourage them to become regular volunteers – sometimes people just need asking!

Your local Council for Voluntary Service may be able to find you some volunteers. If you become a member you can also take advantage of their training courses and their advice on fundraising.

Your local association of youth clubs may offer leadership training for people over 16.

Ideally adult leaders will be at the club regularly, getting to know the young people and providing consistency for them. This is particularly important when the club is new. In order not to get burn out volunteers will need some time off. This can either be achieved by having a rota, or by closing the club down for holiday periods.

Money

You will need to do some fund-raising, and it is worth approaching the local council and the police at the outset to see if they will provide start-up grants. Your local association of youth clubs and Council for Voluntary Service will advise you where else you can apply for funding. Expect grants to take about three months to come through. You'll need to give bank or building society details in order to get the funding, so find out the minimum required to set up an account, raise that amount early on, and have the account in place ready for when larger sums come through.

Youth Club Budget
Youth Club Accounts

Making the Club Work

Set yourself up to win by starting with no more than 20 young people and only expanding when you and they have got the hang of how it works. Although it is possible to have a drop-in, you'll have most control if you have a members only club, since you can give out membership forms in advance along with a copy of the club rules. Make sure that everyone knows what the rules are and they are seen to be applied consistently and fairly from the outset. Review how each session goes – what went well and why, what went less well and why, and anything that needs to be done differently in future.

The Future

Look at setting up a youth club as a long-term project that hopefully will outlive your involvement in it. When I volunteered to take over our local youth club and looked at the accounts, I was amazed to find it had been going for 25 years. Lay the foundations of something simple, enjoyable and self-perpetuating. Get others involved so that they can take over after a few years.

I wish you the very best with your new venture. If you need any further advice contact us.

Lucinda Neall

Home Lucinda Neall Books / Articles Courses / Workshops Teenagers Community Projects Youth Clubs Blog Sister Websites For more information contact: Neall Scott Partnership partners@neallscott.co.uk 01525 222600 Youth Clubs Many kids complain that there isn't enough to do and many adults are concerned that young people with nowhere to go and nothing to do will cause trouble. One solution to this issue is to set up a local youth club. Offering young people an informal environment where they can hang out and do activities creates a sense of belonging and provides those who come with an opportunity to take responsibility for their club and their community. The adults involved in the club become role models and engender mutual respect between the generations. The young people pick up the values of the club, including spirit of volunteering, and as they get older they may choose to take on an active leadership role. How to Set Up a Voluntary Youth Club The idea of setting up a youth club may seem somewhat overwhelming, but it’s actually relatively straightforward. This is how to do it. Getting Started To set up a youth club you need at least two, and preferable three committed adults, a venue, and a group of young people. It's often easiest to gather a group together quite informally by word of mouth. Decide what day(s) the club will run on, what age group it is for, the timing of the sessions, and when there will be breaks, for example during school holidays. In some areas the school holidays may be the most important time to have a club, in others there may be too many people away to make it worth running. Premises The venue might be a community hall or sports pavilion. It really helps to have secure storage on site and it is worth planning this at the outset. Find out what the hourly rent is. Some community halls charge local groups less than private individuals. Some local authorities are prepared to give rent-free periods, but if they do, make sure you know what the rent will be when that period runs out. Get to know the management committee or site manager, and the other users. Explain how the club will work; make sure they understand that young people are lively and active; point out the benefits of the club to community. Tell them that you will do your best to leave the venue as you find it, but if there are any niggles please would they sort them out directly with you; give them your phone number. While the club is new, try to visit the premises when the next users are in, or phone the manager/next user to check that everything is OK. Be friendly and flexible even when others don’t seem to be! Support Your local association for voluntary youth clubs will give you support and advice. The association will tell you how to set up a club and give you a draft constitution and policies that you can adapt. Once you have joined the association they will administer Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checking of volunteers for you and tell you how to get insurance. They will offer training courses and may be able to provide some staff to help you in the first few weeks. Constitution and Policies In order to get insurance, to raise funds or to hire premises you are likely to need a constitution and policies. Keep what you write simple and relevant to your situation. Ask your local association of youth clubs for drafts you can adapt. You may also want to take some ideas from the documents below. Youth Club Constitution Youth Club Policies Youth Club Risk Assessment Committee The committee should have a Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. The Chairperson needs to have the oomph to make the club happen and keep it going. The Secretary needs to be quite organised, preferably have access to a computer, and be prepared to keep any records and paperwork up to date. The Treasurer needs to be honest, reliable and good with figures. Whilst each of the three may be a volunteer youth leader at the club, they do not have to be. Other committee members can include young people and parents. Volunteers The key to making a club sustainable is to have enough volunteers. While the club may initially rely on a few committed people, aim to build a wide base of helpers from which the next wave of committed volunteers can be drawn. Plan to have a volunteer leader and co-leader for each session, and a rota of parent helpers. The regular volunteers need to be CRB checked; occasional helpers do not, as long as someone who is CRB checked supervises them. Notice which parent helpers get on well with youngsters and are willing to take responsibility. Encourage them to become regular volunteers – sometimes people just need asking! Your local Council for Voluntary Service may be able to find you some volunteers. If you become a member you can also take advantage of their training courses and their advice on fundraising. Your local association of youth clubs may offer leadership training for people over 16. Ideally adult leaders will be at the club regularly, getting to know the young people and providing consistency for them. This is particularly important when the club is new. In order not to get burn out volunteers will need some time off. This can either be achieved by having a rota, or by closing the club down for holiday periods. Money You will need to do some fund-raising, and it is worth approaching the local council and the police at the outset to see if they will provide start-up grants. Your local association of youth clubs and Council for Voluntary Service will advise you where else you can apply for funding. Expect grants to take about three months to come through. You'll need to give bank or building society details in order to get the funding, so find out the minimum required to set up an account, raise that amount early on, and have the account in place ready for when larger sums come through. Youth Club Budget Youth Club Accounts Making the Club Work Set yourself up to win by starting with no more than 20 young people and only expanding when you and they have got the hang of how it works. Although it is possible to have a drop-in, you'll have most control if you have a members only club, since you can give out membership forms in advance along with a copy of the club rules. Make sure that everyone knows what the rules are and they are seen to be applied consistently and fairly from the outset. Review how each session goes – what went well and why, what went less well and why, and anything that needs to be done differently in future. The Future Look at setting up a youth club as a long-term project that hopefully will outlive your involvement in it. When I volunteered to take over our local youth club and looked at the accounts, I was amazed to find it had been going for 25 years. Lay the foundations of something simple, enjoyable and self-perpetuating. Get others involved so that they can take over after a few years. I wish you the very best with your new venture. If you need any further advice contact us. Lucinda Neall


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