Business Plan

Chesham Youth Centre, Old Drill Hall,

Bellingdon Rd, Chesham,

Bucks, HP5 2HA

Adopted by Chesham Youth

Centre Management Committee

6th September

2011

i. Index

2. Timescale of Business Plan

3. Date Business Plan adopted by the Management Committee

4. Vision

5. Mission Statement

6. Organisation’s Background

7. Context

8. Values

9. Strategic Aims

10. Future Trends

11. Analysis of Needs

12. Operational Plan

13. Staffing Structure

14. SWOT Analysis

15. Financial Budget

16. Critical Success Factors

17. Risk Analysis & Management

18. Monitoring & Evaluation

19. Contingency Plan

Timescale of business plan: For the period of 3 years between 30 September 2011 – 30 September 2014

Date business plan adopted by Management Committee: 6th September 2011 at a full Management Committee meeting.

Vision To provide a safe and nurturing environment for children and young people within Chesham and the local communities to enable them to develop, grow, enjoy and empowering them to achieve their full potential as members of society.

Mission statement As currently outlined in the 2009 Constitution our aims are:

“The aim of the club shall be to help and educate boys and girls through their leisure time activities so to develop their physical, mental and spiritual capacities that they may grow to full maturity as individuals and members of society and that their conditions of life may be improved.” When it became apparent that responsibility for the running of both the running of the Centre and activities within it would be given to the management committee from Bucks CC the committee in it’s planning and development have taken a much broader and forward thinking stance on the provision of services. We therefore want to see the Youth Centre be at the hub of activities and services for children and young people in Chesham and its communities as well as providing the activities and opportunities that are set out in our Constitution.

Organisation’s background In its earliest form the Youth Club began post war under the leadership of Mr & Mrs Ken

Denham in the guise of Chesham Boys Club and they developed links with the London Boys

Club. In 1950 Bucks County Council provided the Drill Hall (its current location) as a hub for

the Youth Club activities in Chesham with the support of a number of agencies including

Chesham Urban District Council.

The aim of the Club was to provide leisure, education, personal and social development for

the ever growing youth numbers in Chesham. Under the guidance of the Club President Mr

Derrick Hunt the Youth Centre as it had become known underwent a massive refurbishment

in 2000/01.

The Management Committee has headed the Youth Centre and Bucks CC staff led Youth

activities & Youth Services until July 2011. Since the spring of 2011 when notice was given

of the withdrawal of Bucks CC Youth Services the Management Committee have been

working to take responsibility for both the running of the Centre and the provision of youth

services in Chesham.

Context The Management Committee of the Youth Centre is now in control of running both the building and the provision of youth services out of the Centre since the withdrawal of Bucks County Council youth services. We recognize that we need to make provision and opportunities for children and young people from the ages of 5 – 25 yrs from all sections our community. As a Youth based organization we see ourselves in a position to work with and support other Youth Groups and those people wanting to offer and utilize their skills, talents, experiences and time for the development of young people. To enable us to achieve this fully we will work with our partners including: the police, health, Action4Youth, Nexus, relevant local authorities and local community groups.

Values Our core values and framework are:

We believe that all children and young people have the potential to grow and develop in to fully contributing members within society

As informal educators all our youth work practice is underpinned by the principles of

equality, diversity, opportunity, participation, empowerment and education.

The management committee and its representatives will act with integrity in

accordance with responsibilities and duties, and will maintain the boundaries

between their professional and personal life.

There will be a culture of mutual respect and understanding between adults,

children and young people.

We will develop amongst children and young people a respect for themselves and

others. By empowering them through the development of their confidence and self

esteem.

The management committee will strive to ensure that children and young people’s

voices are heard, involved in service design, delivery and evaluation, and advocate on

their behalf where appropriate.

Adults within the Youth Centre will work with children and young people to enable

them to make informed choices.

The provision of youth services will focus on the young person or group of young

people, addressing their needs within the framework of the Children and Young

People’s Plan and national government initiatives.

Strategic aims

We want to achieve a thriving Youth Centre, which provides a safe and nurturing environment for children and young people within the age range of 5 – 25yrs

An environment where children and young people are able to develop, grow, enjoy and empower themselves to achieve their full potential as members of society through a range of different activities and experiences.

To be a fully run and supported volunteer led organization.

To become a hub and be able to signpost youth services and activities within Chesham and the local communities.

Strategic objectives To continue to provide a Junior Club 7 – 11yrs

To develop an Inters Club 10 – 14yrs

To continue to provide a Seniors Club 13 - 25yrs

To continue to and increase our liaison with Nexus, Action4Youth and relevant local authorities for further provision of activities including sports, arts, drama and dance.

To continue to and increase our liaison and support for other youth groups/organisations within Chesham and the local community.

To continue to liaise and increase our relationships with other stake holding partners within Chesham and the local communities including: the police, PCSO’s, educational and health establishments.

To continue to develop opportunities for personal development and training for children and young people.

To increase our revenue generation and usage for the community of our rooms and facilities.

To develop and fully train our volunteer base.

Future trends Given the information provided by the Bucks strategic partnership and Bucks CC, children and young people comprise over 26% of the local population which particularly amongst the 11 – 19yr old age group has shown a increase of 11% over the last decade. Chesham has three of the most socially deprived wards in Buckinghamshire: Newtown, Waterside and Ridgeway and has one of the most ethnically diverse populations in Buckinghamshire as well as one of the high levels of physical disability amongst young people. Chesham has a local children’s home which houses the new adolescent outreach service know as CATCH. Chesham and the local area accommodate one of the highest levels of fostered children and those children who have been in care both locally and from London. Education figures demonstrate that Chesham has a higher than Bucks average need for Children with special education needs in the education system. Given the outbreaks of violence and rioting in many towns and cities in the summer of 2011 it is likely that central government will be looking to engage more rigorously and keenly with children and young people especially those in the more hard to reach bracket. Figures show that Chesham has one of the highest numbers of ‘NEET’ (Not in Education, Employment or Training) in the County with a significant increase in the number of unemployed Young People.

Analysis of need Given the comments made in future trends and how Chesham is in a vulnerable position given increased population within the target age group and with the withdrawal of Bucks CC youth services from the town, there is a very real need for the provision of services from the Youth Centre to continue and increase. After a major consultation during the summer of 2011 done both through online surveying and face to face contact the target age group has identified a need for the Youth Centre to continue and thrive, adapting the services that it provides to the needs of children and young people. Local residents have also identified as one of their top priorities a need for youth activities to been increased and improved in Chesham.

Operational plan Following extensive consultation with our core market groups we have agreed with their suggestions for a re-brand of the Centre and for it to be know in the future as “The Cave”, a name identified by the young people who were consulted. Chesham Youth Centre has now as part of its re-launch been organized into a company ltd by guarantee with Cty Cllr Noel Brown and Cllr Mark Shaw as its Directors. It was incorporated on 15th September 2011 and its company number is 7775355. We would with their agreement look at members of the management committee being its shareholders. In order for us to deliver services to our children and young people we have identified both the following needs and method of development. The management Committee has agreed to appoint a part time Youth Club Leader together with two Session Leaders to assist them. The primary aims of the Youth Club Leader are to help re-launch the Centre and its services as well as providing a professional back up for our volunteers and Session Leaders. All leaders will have the task of nurturing and growing the volunteer base within the Centre. Current volunteers and members of the management committee will be expected to attend training sessions to help develop their knowledge and understanding on a number of issues starting with a mandatory Child protection and safeguarding session which is being held on 6th September 2011. Adverts will be placed by the beginning of September and we aim to have identified the Leaders by the end of that month. Building on our strong base with the Junior Club we aim to open the Club on the 14th September with the management committee member and the young leaders with interim support from Action4Youth until Session and Club Leaders have been formally appointed by the management committee. We will continue from September to work with Nexus, The Boxing Club and other local sports providers to further develop and enhance the sporting sessions we have on offer particularly on Tuesday evenings. There will be further opportunities on Thursday evenings with other local youth sport providers such as Moor Stars. We will consult with our members to develop a number of opportunities for children and young people to learn new skills and experiences in a host of different activities with our partner agencies (Action4Youth etc) e.g. dancing, bowling, sports, drama, art and music. Working with all interested parties we aim to launch a new Inters club with a target launch date of January 2012.

Together with our Youth Club Leader we will review and re-launch our seniors group by the end of October 2011.

Our strategic plans and the operational performance will be closely monitored by the management committee and its sub committees but will be more formally reviewed at January, April and June with the officers of the Management Committee and the Club Leader. The contracts for the Youth Club Leader and Session Leaders will be revised and extended, as appropriate, in line with the findings of the reviews.

Staffing structure The management Committee is created at the annual general meeting. The first management meeting after the AGM elects the following Officers:

Chairman

Vice Chairman/Secretary

Treasurer

10 members The management committee consists of up to 12 people including 1 member nominated by Buckinghamshire County Council, 1 by Chiltern District Council and 1 by Chesham Town Council The committee meets up to eight times a year and is split into small sub-committees:

Blue sky group – looking towards development of services and service provision

Premises group – responsible for the building and outside are as well as ensuring maintenance contracts etc are in place

Fundraising and finance group – to ensure there are available funds to ensure the running of the Centre and provide services to children and young people

The sub committees meet regularly and all minutes and reports are sent to the management committee and actions reviewed and noted by them. Our further aim is to involve representatives from the young people who attend the various groups to develop their own leadership group who will then feed into the management committee their views on the provision of services within the centre and indeed would have a formal position on the management committee to voice their thoughts.

The Junior Club is currently run by a member of the management committee, a youth work assistant and volunteers

The Seniors Club was run by a Bucks CC youth leader, a youth work assistant and some volunteers

Sports sessions run by Nexus are managed by their professionals The outcomes from all clubs and sessions are reported back to the management committee We have a number of accredited “Young Leaders” who will support Club sessions and the Club Leader. An able and experienced volunteer takes on the role of bookings officer and administrator.

SWOT analysis

STRENGTHS

An existing management committee committed to providing a centre and services for children and young people in the community

A good and varied skilled base from the membership of the management committee

A good mix of members of the management committee some who have served for many years and bring an understanding of the history of the Centre and therefore consistency with the past

Members with strong ties with partners, e.g. local authorities, police, Youth Council, Action4Youth, Children and Young People Trust Board, other local youth groups and community organizations

Involvement of young people/leaders

Access to partner resources and monies

Trained young leaders

Attending members and parents (junior)

Some continuing members (senior)

Excellent building and resources

Disabled access, lift and facilities within the Centre

Central location within Chesham and ease of access and parking

Membership of Action4Youth and sources of information for running of clubs/activities

Through our membership of Action4Youth we have access to their National Organisations NA-Clubs for Young People, offering a variety of training and national events and UK Youth which offers a number of training and accreditation awards for young people.

Good links with senior BCC Youth Services managers

Links with the Asian community

Good reserves and financial management

WEAKNESSES

A poor reputation amongst many of the town’s communities

Poor experiences with past Bucks CC youth leader

Some dissensions on Committee linked with history and past loyalty/disagreement with old youth leader and followers

Some tendency on Committee to be over involved with the past and past perceptions

A past culture of non-payment of subs by Seniors

Potential deficit and under-developed fund-raising potential

Fear of potential deficit preventing necessary investment

No overall youth club/activities/centre leader

OPPORTUNITIES

A new start and a new name

Good will from owner of building – Bucks CC and partners, e.g. Action4Youth, Bucks CC Youth Service, police and all relevant local authorities

Good financial management

Potential for greater income generation – through better use of building by community and links to possible sources of funds

Strong potential of youth participation

Assistance with transition from Action4Youth/Bucks CC and other relevant authorities

Good links with other community leaders

THREATS

Lack of financial resources – especially if Bucks CC Youth Centre grant is not successful

Poor human resource decisions as we have experienced in the recent past.

Inability to change sufficiently old perceptions of the Youth Centre

Lack of leadership in service led provision

Financial budget Please see appendix 1

Critical success factors We have identified the need for the Club to recruit both Club and Session Leaders by the end of September 2011. We are aware that we need the grant from Bucks CC Youth grant to enable is to invest in the future of the Youth Centre. The re-branding and launch of the Youth Centre will be essential for us to change the communities’ preconceptions of the Centre. This should encourage greater usage of the Centre i.e. new members, greater hall hire, attracting greater support and sponsorship for increased revenue generation. We need to attract and retain members to the Centre and be aware of their views and concerns. We will need to strengthen and increase our current volunteer base to enable us to achieve one of our strategic aims of having in the medium term a voluntary run Centre.

Risk analysis and management In its past experience, the club has been well used to undertaking risk analyses of its activities, in line with Buckinghamshire Youth Services and Action4Youth guidelines, and the survival and improvement of the Centre through its management committee. Amongst the management committee and its supporters, there are strong skills and experience in risk analysis, financial and organisational management. There are close links with Action4Youth and senior management in Buckinghamshire Youth Services, as well as all the local authorities, who will continue to provide help and support (see contingency plan above). The management committee have managed the Centre for over sixty years and see the changed context as an opportunity for closer management of performance and planning and preparation for expansion of its activities and services within the community of Chesham and its environs, informed by the information provided by our many stakeholders, especially local townspeople and the children and young people themselves.

Monitoring and evaluation The management committee will monitor and review at each of their meetings the strategic objectives that they’ve set out and ensure that are being implemented and progressed.

The management committee will gather, review and liaise with Action4Youth to feed them key operational performance data: Attendance figures Training and accreditation Child Protection and Safeguarding (Inc safer recruitment and retention) – linking with Bucks Safeguarding Children’s Board Action4Youth will provide the link with the Buckinghamshire Children and Young People’s Trust Board (CYPTB) and the local CYPTB, currently chaired by a member of the Management Committee. We will regularly consult with our users and stake holding partners to ensure the services that we provide resonate with them. The management committee will continue to monitor the accounts and agreed budget as well as the outcomes to our stated strategic objectives. Annual report and statement of accounts will be presented at the Annual General Meeting of the Youth Centre and be made available to all users and stake holders.

Contingency plan We are member of Action4Youth which provides guidance, support and advice on all matters relating to voluntary led children and young people’s services. We will continue to have close links with Bucks CC Youth Services who can also provided relevant training and have a greater experience of working with more vulnerable and challenging children and young people.