4YP detached youth workers having a positive impact in IP2 and IP3
4YP has been running a Detached Youth Work programme in Gainsborough, Chantry, and Kesgrave since the end of 2022 thanks, in part, to funds from the Suffolk Police & Crime Commission (SPCC). So, what exactly is detached youth work? Detached youth workers venture out to into the community to engage with young people who don’t, or won’t, come to the central hub and can offer consistent support to them there. Young people feel safer on streets knowing that youth workers are in the area and that they can go to them if needs be. A regular weekly presence out on the street allows the youth workers to maintain consistent engagement with young people and they know 4YP is always around to support them. Due to its success and positive impact, the project has been extended, which means that 4YP will continue to have positive influences to support young people in these areas going into 2024.
Tim Passmore, the Police & Crime Commissioner for Suffolk, recently visited the 4YP detached youth work team in IP3 and was able to see first-hand how the project was running, the impactful work they are doing, the issues they are facing and how the funding is helping. It was an important day for 4YP – to be able to show the good they are doing within socially deprived areas of Ipswich.
4YP youth worker, Sinead Lambe, told us: “We are putting the needs of young people first and providing someone safe to talk to so they can feel safer within their community. Also, we are listening to young people and let them know that their voices matter.”
“We often engage with between 15 and 30 young people per session, from diverse backgrounds and cultures. We also work with young people who may find themselves involved in anti-social behaviour (ASB) and shoplifting, and we help to defuse fights and any criminal activities.”
“4YP are grateful for the continued generosity of the Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner Fund”, says Gavin Stone, CEO of 4YP. “The fund enables our youth workers to support young people on the streets, in their own communities, notably those most vulnerable and at risk of criminal exploitation. ‘Detached youth workers’, as they are known, provide a trusted presence and unique early intervention for young people that are more likely to be drawn into crime and anti-social behaviour.”
