'˜Innovative' Caistor youth project fails to capture interest

A £15k pilot project aimed at providing more activities for youths could be scrapped after kids failed to '˜get involved'.
Rob Pitman EMN-160527-121451001Rob Pitman EMN-160527-121451001
Rob Pitman EMN-160527-121451001

Caistor Town Council last year won a £15k government grant to fund an ‘innovative’ ‘All About You’ project aimed giving more opportunities to youngsters – and getting them involved in planning events.

The council appointed positive activities manager Rob Pitman to lead the project, and he has submitted a review report to councillor Mike Stopper.

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Speaking at the council’s monthly meeting, Coun Stopper said: “It’s an extremely innovative project, underpinned by vision and energy.

People haven’t got involved to the extent that parallel initiatives have elsewhere.

“We appear to have a microcosm of a particular culture here for whatever reason.”

Coun Stopper said that 12 months to ‘turn around’ this culture was a ‘brief spell of time’.

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And he added that the All About You project had seen some recent success with an independent cinema in the town.

But he said ‘going forward’ it was important to get feedback from stakeholders – before any decision was made on whether or not the project should continue.

All About You Activities have included a web design project, which attracted a small number of people, and a poet event, which failed to generate any interest at all.

Back in October Rob made a plea to youngsters through the Rasen Mail.

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He said: “We need you to get on board, we’re looking for your ideas.

“This is your chance to help determine the future of activity in Caistor.

“We’re trying to be forward thinking and innovative about this.

“There’s a real opportunity here for Caistor and the surrounding areas.”

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Rob said he did not know whether young people were getting the message and were not interested in the activities – or whether they were just not aware the activities were taking 
place.

The project was devised by the town council, members of a steering group and Lincolnshire County Council youth 
services.

It was funded by the government’s Our Place scheme, which aims to give people more power over local services and budgets.

in their neighbourhood.