Planning well underway for Craven Arms youth day
The Craven Arms community is gearing up for a packed programme of activities this weekend aimed at highlighting what the town has to offer young people.
A range of both indoor and outdoor pastimes available in the area will be showcased as part of the Craven Arms Youth Festival, including boxing, dance and drama, archery, raft building and much more.
Sponsored by South Shropshire Housing Association, the event on June 4th will bring together young people, existing youth groups, sports organisers, town businesses and parents. It is being held at Craven Arms Community Centre between 11am and 3pm.
Young people will be able to try their hands at free taster sessions of a range of activities on the day and local artist, Lesley McKnight, will be working with them to get their ideas and views onto a 'Speak Out Wall'.
The wall is intended to be a place where young people can record their thoughts about Craven Arms as a place through their own words and art.
Neville Stephens, chair of SSHA and Craven Arms Area Youth Sub-Group, explained: “The message of this event is 'Craven Arms Supports Young People'. We hope the festival will put paid to the idea that there is nothing for young people to do in Craven Arms and that the town has a negative view of its young people. We want this festival to demonstrate how much we value our young people and to ensure that they know we are listening to them.”
Helen Vaughan, regeneration and community development officer for SSHA, said: “There is so much planned for this special day that we're certain everyone who attends will find something they enjoy – and it may be something they've never had the chance to try before. We are urging all of the town's young people, and their parents, to come along because they might be surprised at the activities they have previously been missing out on. This is a fabulous community initiative with a strong message of support for the town's young people.”
