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The story so far: Bovey Tracey Youth Café
Thu 1 Mar 2012
Bovey Tracey
Youth Action (BTYA) was formally set up in 1999 and this year we are delighted
to be celebrating our 10 year anniversary since opening our Café doors. It came into being because of a
concern that there was no facility in Bovey Tracey available to young people,
particularly those below pub-going age, where they could meet and spend time
together. Although by most standards Bovey Tracey is not a deprived area it
does suffer, as far as young people are concerned, from problems associated
with rural isolation, certainly for those with no easy access to a car, (e.g.
under 17s). Public transport is limited and expensive.
The
Café caters for an age range
of 11 – 18 years inclusive. Given 45 or so young people per year group for Bovey
Tracey, this gives approximately 315 teenagers who might wish to use the café
living in the Town. We maintain close links with a number of people and
organisations in the area, including the Town Council, who are very supportive,
the Police, Youth Offending Team, Devon Youth Service and many others.
The Café
opened in March 2002 and has been very successful in attracting young people
both regular and occasional attendees; for whom the Café has rapidly become an
important part of their social landscape. On average up to 30 young people
attend the Café each evening. We currently open on Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday evenings for young people aged 11-19 years. The main activities
revolve around pool, computer games, music, and other creative activities.
We have an
outstanding team of dedicated staff of various ages, from diverse backgrounds
and experience including some that have, or do work professionally with young
people in a variety of settings. We offer various recreational and creative
activities. We encourage young people to help out behind the counter with staff
who can help them learn important life skills. Young people can also obtain
food hygiene and first aid certificates and babysitting accreditation. We
receive our funding from local businesses and grant applications and the Town
Council. We are continuously looking for
other funding opportunities to continue our good work and have recently started
to seek individual donors. We wish to thank those who have recently given for
their generosity. We would particularly like to thank Ros Smalley for kindly
agreeing to become our patron. If you would like any further information please
contact the Youth Cafe on 01626 832361 or email admin@btyc.wanadoo.co.uk
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