• Supporting local groups through a small funds grant scheme in Wear Valley

New Play Co-ordinator for Willington and Crook

Michael Dixon is our new addition to 2D. His role will include promoting and delivering play opportunities for children aged 5-13 in the areas of Crook & Willington. He will also be working in partnership with local groups that involve children and young people.

Michael, from Bishop Auckland, has come from a background of youth work and has over 3 years experience of working with children and young people. He has spent the past 20 months leading a youth project in the area of Crook.

This has involved running various projects and activities for young people in the area and he has also been heavily involved in promoting and working alongside other youth provision services in the area.

He is still involved in youth work and said the following about his new role:

“I saw the post as a fantastic opportunity to work with a different age group of young people to help increase my understanding of the development of young people and to promote the importance of play work to people and organisations in the area as, along with youth work, I see it is a highly important and beneficial aspect to the development of a child.

I am delighted to be working for such a great organisation as I have previous experience of working alongside 2D and I have been made to feel incredibly welcome. Thank you all so very much”.

Michael will be organising a programme of summer activities for children in the area as well as establishing sessions in local schools and children’s centres. He is currently looking for volunteers to help him with the running of the project so if you are interested in volunteering or would like to know more about the project please get in touch with Michael on at 2D on 01388 762220.

Taking a Trip Round Wear Valley (or "what Robert does"!) article by Owen & Luke Prescott & James Shaw

Robert had been telling us about his job and the different things there are for kids where he works and we wanted to know more so he said "why not come with me for a day in half-term?"

We picked James up [from Dene Valley] on the way ‘cos he wanted to see what Robert did too. We were a bit nervous but a lot excited about it. James was fun and we all got on having a laugh straight away.

In the office all the people were working but they all said hello and got us a drink then we had to look at some papers by 2 groups of children who wanted some money to do football for pre-school children and a youth club in a village in Teesdale. We looked at a map and saw how hard it was for those children to get anywhere and there was nothing else where they lived so we made Robert spend £800. That made us feel really important.

The day was really busy and there was lots of places to go. We started at Howden-le-Wear where the children were making a film about martial arts. It looks pretty good to see how a film is made and all of them were helping to do it, to act and dress up and to make the film too. Tomorrow they are going off to film it outside somewhere. The lady from Jack Drum sat everyone down so we could hear about what they were doing and how they did it.

Then we went to 2 more places where they had holiday clubs. The first one [Leeholme] was really busy with lots of kids and their parents or grandparents doing lots of things like making bird boxes, playing games and making things from scraps. It was real noisy with the banging and gave me headache but looked fun. We enjoyed the Nintendo wii and table football games. The next one [Dene Valley] was really quiet when we got there but it was dinner time then so not many children were in. Also one of the boys in the village was in hospital so maybe his friends were too upset to go.

We were starving and ready to eat. We had done so much and didn’t realize it was getting late. We went to McDonalds and sat upstairs where we ate lots and told jokes. Luke nearly fell off his chair laughing. In the afternoon we are going to a fishing place called "Get Hooked on Fishing" to see the things they are doing there and then we have a surprise activity…

(This article was put together by the 3 boys to help us to see some of the wide range of things that are available for children and young people. I know that there were many different opportunities over the half-term in both Teesdale and Wear Valley and I also know from the children and young people just how much they enjoy going along – thanks to all concerned for the hard work and preparation)

2D is rewarded for Investing in Children

"I would like to thank all those children and young people who have recently shown their appreciation and support for myself and Susie during interviews by workers from Investing in Children.

In Teesdale, the focus was around the Youth Forum where the young people felt that they were given full responsibility and that adults valued them and listened to the issues they raised. In Wear Valley, the interviews occurred during the Play Day and much of the discussion centred on how they had influence changes and taken on roles of responsibility.

The young people said that "we are listened to an awful lot at 2D", they are "helped to have a voice" and sometimes even "taken more serious than adults".

As a result of their research, 2D has been nominated for Investing in Children status and will be presented with the award at the AGM on 2nd October, when a short presentation of change will be given by some local children and young people."

Robert Fothergill.

Youth Presentation at 2D's AGM...

I would just like to add my personal thanks to all the children and young people who helped on this evening.

It hasn’t been an easy journey for many of them getting to where they are now and I was proud to witness how they rose to the occasion. Given the right support there are many more young people just waiting for the right opportunity to get involved in their own communities.

There are many across the whole of the Durham Dales whom I could have nominated towards the award evening on 21st November and it was encouraging to see almost 230 young people receive Youth Achievement Awards. The two that I had personally nominated are pictured below (at the 2D AGM) as people who had overcome barriers in their own lives to go on and help others.

Nathan Hewitt (left) has worked alongside me on various projects over the past year, and Daniel Robson (right) began this summer, taking on a lead role to ensure that play areas are made more open to disabled children.

Younger Voices Make A Difference

There have been a number of developments over the summer months that show how things are moving forward in the dales area and the voices of children and young people are being taken seriously.

• Teesdale Youth Forum held their AGM and celebration event and now have their own elected officers

• Weardale young people have pushed for their own forum and plans are developing to establish this, supported by the National Youth Agency, who have a staff member living in St John Chapel

• Howden-le-Wear children and young people attended a community meeting hosted by Hilary Armstrong MP and have held their first meeting for their new village youth forum

• The Local Children’s Board has honoured their promise to be led by young people and have responded to the research undertaken across the dales regarding the Key Improvement Priorities (KIP). The next ones to be tackled are "teenage pregnancy" and then either "bullying" or "alcohol abuse".

A number of children and young people (and their workers too!) have expressed some confusion over what the 12 KIPs are and what these mean to them on a day by day basis. In response to this a number of arts-based projects are being run over the next couple of months to illustrate and explain each one in the children and young people’s own words.

Remember…your voice really does matter – don’t forget to use it.

Live in Teesdale or Wear Valley? Whether you are young yourself, or you work with children and young people, please feel free to contact Robert by phone, text or e-mail on:

01388 762220, 07725 707560 or r.fothergill@2d.org.uk