MELKSHAM Area Board is exploring the possibility of providing a support service to vulnerable young people in the Melksham area.
At last week’s area board meeting, councillors voted in favour of ring-fencing £10,000 of youth funding for the project that will commission an organisation to deliver an intervention and support project, to work with some of the most vulnerable young people within the community area.
A report supporting the ‘young persons project says, “The provider will offer pastoral, out of school, one-to-one support to young people between the ages of 13 – 19 years in the Melksham community area.
“The programme will be available to young people who are open to Wiltshire Council’s children’s social care and the provider will also be expected to work with local partners to identify further young people who might be at risk.
“The provider should work with local partners such as Melksham Oak School, local youth activity and service providers, Motiv8, Wiltshire Police and Wiltshire Council departments to identify the young people who would be most suitable for referral.
“Young people who may be suitable could be those who have had a bereavement in the family, are in the early stages of alcohol or drug misuse, or have had a drastic change to school attainment.
“There should be a tailored programme of delivery and support for each young person, which helps them identify social, educational or work-based opportunities.”
At the area board meeting, cllr Jonathon Seed said, “Things are clearly critical – and for the money, this will do a huge amount of good with targeted young people.”
The Melksham community engagement manager, Rhys Schell, will now take the project to the procurement stage.
