Organisation: Wrexham Youth Service

Provision: Brymbo Detached Youth Work project incorporating Dickie’s Bench

Contact: Richard Thomas

Brymbo detached team operates under a Service Level Agreement between Wrexham County Borough Council and Brymbo Community Council. The aim of the project is to support young people through youth work intervention, developing services where young people regularly meet and socialise.

Young people have been integral to all programme delivery in Brymbo. “Dickies Bench” developed because the young people asked for a space to talk confidentially with staff. Dickies Bench developed naturally – it is a park bench that has been “adopted” by the young people near the MUGA area in the community. If young people need support or a confidential chat, they sit on the bench and the workers know they are needed.

Dickies Bench allows young people to ask for support, even if they don’t particularly want to ask for it. Sometimes the young people need a bit of support and they don’t want to ask for it outright. In addition, when young people are with their peer group, they may not want everyone involved in the conversation. Dickies bench is close enough to the MUGA area for staff not to become isolated, but far enough away to facilitate confidential conversations.

Dickies Bench is an integral part of the youth service delivery in Brymbo and is a focal point of provision in the area.

Dickies Bench allows young people to discuss any issues that are effecting them. It provides enough privacy for confidential conversations as well as maintaining the concept of still being in a bigger group. Young people (as in building based provision) are free to discuss any issues that are effecting them and allows staff to offer guidance/support and signposting if required.

Dickies Bench has been beneficial in providing evidence that young people can adapt to a variety of youth work methods and covering several important issues affecting young people.

Dickies Bench has provided the opportunity for young people to access support on a number of issues, some of which include…

• Sexual health and advise
• Information on drug/substance misuse
• Loneliness & Isolation
• All sorts of COVID concerns including bereavement.
• Sometimes, leaflets have been left on Dickies Bench as young people have asked for information that they want to read on their own.

Dickies Bench will continue as long as the need is still there and endure as long as the partnership does

For more information email or visit https://www.facebook.com/centralwrexhamyouthservices/

https://twitter.com/youngwrexham?lang=en

https://twitter.com/wrexhamsenedd?lang=en