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July 3, 2008 > YOT in the Mother of Parliaments
A talented young film-maker from Halifax has made a speech in the Houses of Parliament about his work with Calderdale Youth Offending Team.

Richard Shaw, 26, led a media project making movies with young offenders spoke to MPs about his work at a parliamentary reception in Westminster.

Richard (below, back left) worked with six young people from Calderdale YOT making a series of short films about issues which concern teenagers.  The Straight Shooters Project, funded by Connexions and the Princes Trust aimed to build confidence, gain new skills and to keep the right side of the law.



All the young people are pursuing their creative ambitions with two enrolling at college on media courses and the others signing up for future summer projects.

Richard commented on his invitation to the seat of government, saying “It was quite nerve-wracking to make a speech in the House of Commons although I really enjoyed it. I came here to champion the need for more community-led projects like the one I organised in Halifax”

“People seemed to listen and I’m going back to Yorkshire feeling very happy”

Communities and Local Government minister Baroness Andrews attended the reception.  She said “ Young people are the future of our society and it is, if anything, more pressing today than ever to listen to what they have to say about their communities”.

Richard is currently planning his next project with Calderdale YOT’s Summer College Programme which has attracted funding from the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales.

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January 2, 2008 > 'Read All Ab-Art It!'
Calderdale YOT have produced the first of a regular series of newsletters showcasing the excellent work being done with young people through the medium of the arts .  Download a PDF copy here - 2.2Mb

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January 2, 2008 > TAG Project
‘TAG’ (The Arts Group) are volunteers working closely with Calderdale YOT looking at ways of reaching young people who find themselves the wrong side of the law or at risk of offending.  See and read more here

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January 2, 2008 > New Film Hits Big Screen
The red carpet was rolled out at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax for the premiere of ‘Straight Shooters’. Straight Shooters was a series of short films created by young people who have been on the wrong side of the law or who might find themselves there. See and read more here

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August 30, 2007 > Calderdale's Summer College
Over the summer Calderdale young people who had found themselves the wrong side of the law were chosen to test out how the arts can keep them out of trouble. The pioneering Summer College Programme was being evaluated in a number of areas in the country, with Calderdale’s scheme proving a huge success.  See and read more here

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July 3, 2007 > Calderdale YOT's Own Iron Man!
YOT workers are known to be tough and 'go the extra mile' and just to prove it, Calderdale YOT has their very own Ironman Triathlon finisher in the recent West Country national event.

Spencer Green, a Project Worker on the YOT's Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme completed this gruelling event which demands a 1.2 mile swim, followed by a 56 mile cycle ride followed by a 13.1 mile run. Completing the course in a remarkable 7 hours and 19 minutes, Spencer raised £1,100 for Cancer Research.



For those with an eye for detail, Spencer is keen to point out that before anyone mails him claiming the photo above says 7hrs 29 minutes, this is due to competitors starting in waves every 5 minutes, thus he started 10mins after the initial start!

Stephen Toye, Head of Youth Offending Services said, 'Spencer is a great role model for the young people he works with and I think achievements like this have a marked effect on their thinking. Actions speak louder than words and young people will respect that.'

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June 25, 2007 >Calderdale Youth Justice Plan
Calderdale's Youth Justice Plan for 2007/08 has today been approved by the Youth Justice Board. The Plan sets out for the year ahead how services will be delivered to prevent offending and the associated costs.

The Youth Justice Board were particularly interested in the three themed areas underpinning all of the YOTs work for the year ahead, namely, safeguarding children and young people, action on domestic violence and the development of highly personalised services aimed to support individuals to put their lives back on track.

Stephen Toye, Head of Youth Offending Services said  'We are pleased to go forward with our plan to raise performance, keep the public safe and to keep children and young people safe. The year ahead will be about raising public confidence in our service and reducing myths about the extent and seriousness of youth crime. I think we all want a sensible approach to dealing with young offenders that is fair, proportionate and above all else, is effective at preventing offending."

Download a PDF copy here - 980k

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June 2007 >Workabout
Workabout is a new web-based resource to support parents of young offenders.  There is help on leaving school, money for study, benefits and telling employers about convictions.  It has a wealth of information and advice for young people and parents of young offenders on future career and work prospects.

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May 2007 >Wet Paint Do Not Touch!
Calderdale Youth Offending Team has produced a new magazine showcasing the work of young people involved in a Easter 2007 holiday project organised by Abdul Jabar, the YOT's Diversionary Projects Co-ordinator.  Craig Bradley, a local writer and poet, helped the young people record their thoughts and experiences as they worked on a variety of 3D arts projects.

The magazine "Do Not Touch Wet Paint!" was the result.  Colourful, funny, lively and a wonderful snapshot of the positive work being delivered by the YOT.

Click here to see a copy