'Using the power of positive activities to inspire our young people' - Hit youth activity programme coming to Boston
After proving a hit in other parts of Lincolnshire, a youth activity programme is coming to Boston, offering fun, free after-school activities and more.
Lincolnshire County Council will be staging its ‘Beyond’ project in the town from May 11 to July 17 (excluding the half-term break, May 25-29).
It follows successful runs in Sleaford, Gainsborough and Louth.
The scheme, the council says, offers young people the chance to:
- Take part in fun, free after-school activities at venues across the town, including Pescod Hall, the Peter Paine Performance Centre and Central Park (find the timetable HERE).
- Get creative and ‘put a positive stamp on their community’ by planning and delivering their own social action project
- Work towards a Leadership Award, ‘stepping out of comfort zones’ to test themselves on a high-rope aerial course and other outdoor learning challenges
The council says it is also working with local primary and secondary schools, hosting sessions to get children thinking about the role they can play in the community.
One popular activity, the council says, involves pupils stepping into the role of a town councillor. As they take turns in a Monopoly-style game, they must choose to allocate their available budget on competing priorities like education, crime, and managing green spaces.
Discussing the success of the scheme when it ran in Louth, the council said youngsters were inspired to take a more active interest in their community.
As part of the project, they created artwork for local care homes and wrote letters to their local councillors with suggestions of improvements they would like to see for people of their age.
They also made a positive difference by transforming existing community spaces, the council says; at Louth Youth Centre, children worked together to design and paint a new multi‑use games area.
A young person who took part in the painting said: “This has been a great day. I’ve never done anything like this before. To be able to work with an artist and do such cool graffiti artwork has been amazing.”
Parents also praised the scheme, with one saying: “My child has shown increased confidence, better behaviour at home and more motivation to go out and try new things since attending these sessions.”
Coun Alex McGonigle, executive councillor for community safety at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We’re working closely with partners, using the power of positive activities to inspire our young people to do things they may not have thought possible and supporting them to grow, achieve and give back to their community.
“It was brilliant to attend the ‘Beyond’ celebration event in Louth to present the young people with their certificates and speak to parents about how much they got out of the activities.
“After the amazing response in Louth, we’re moving on to Boston! Do you have 9-18 year-olds at home? Come and check out these great free activities happening locally.”
To find out more and to stay up-to-date with the ‘Beyond’ project, the advice is to follow Lincolnshire County Council on Facebook.