Minutes:
Due to apologies sent the following written update was submitted to the forum by M McAllister, Bus Manager for the Reality Youth Project;
“In contrast to some sessions young people have engaged very positively with the Reality Bus from the outset in Wigston. This quickly dispelled a worry we had around being somewhat hidden away and therefore hard to find. Initially Wednesday's sessions started quieter than Friday but this balanced itself out within the first week or two. Now the average numbers across the last half term have leveled out.
On Wednesdays we have ranged from 15 to mid 30's of numbers attending and Friday has been between 17 and low 40's. The averages for the two sessions are 26 for Wednesday and 27 for Friday.
We have positive engagement with the DJ mixing decks upstairs and chill out area as well as both the racing games and FIFA on the XBOX and PS4. Laptops have been popular for both internet access to things like Facebook and multi-player games in addition to pre-installed games.
Downstairs the nail bar has been very well used as has the facility to have hot and cold drinks. The 'Just Dance' game which is played outside the bus by viewing the TV screen through the window inside had been popular with younger members.
The sessions have been supported by members of the Life Church at times, this has been especially useful as they are already known to, and have some sort of relationships with, children and young people attending the bus. This has helped us too in building relationships. Furthermore, we have worked with the IMPACT team when they have been out while we have been operating. This has allowed a more holistic approach to working with children and young people in the area and we can both signpost young people towards times and sessions we are both working.
A challenge of the sessions, on both days, has been the wide age range of children and young people attending, some of the younger children being siblings of the young people. We have been working hard to develop a format which works for both groups while still giving the young people much needed time and space away from the younger ones.
One addition we are hoping to make soon is some additional board and card games on the bus to offer an alternative to electronic games and give further opportunities to chat to the young people. This would also be of benefit for the children who regularly engage with us. We have also spoken with the IMPACT team about them trying to facilitate some more structured times on the bus around issues affecting young people, for example using the 'drugs awareness box'.
One the whole it has been a very positive start to working in the borough.”
M Smith expanded on the written update by explaining that the current ten week block of sessions will soon be ending. The Reality Youth Project has already confirmed that the Borough has two additional ten week sessions of the Reality Bus remaining with the second starting in September. The Borough’s ‘Joint Action Group’ meeting will take place on Monday, 6 June as part of which the placement of the Reality Bus from September will be decided.
Members enquired as to whether the Reality Bus would be visiting the Wigston Club for Young People on Horsewell Lane as they believe this has previously been mentioned. M Smith is unsure of this but did suggest that it is perhaps one of the other youth bus projects, such as Streetvibe, that has been discussed. Streetvibe offer a smaller, transit van based youth bus that would be more suited to supporting an existing youth centre as opposed to the double-decker Reality Bus that is a mobile youth centre.