South Ayrshire Council

Community Education Service

Based within the Kincaidston Youth Café, this project uses music as the host topic for an integrated literacies programme. This particular initiative is predicated on a previous youth project that had focused on the performing arts in general. The initial project had been developed to build personal and social skills, working with young people in the area in danger of becoming involved in alcohol and drugs misuse; a local arts worker in agreed to work with the initial group to produce a Christmas Show that was performed at the Youth Café.

The new Project aims to build on this work, and has negotiated a programme with partner agencies that will link in to the Duke of Edinburgh Award - Core Skills Component, and the National Youth Achievement Award Scheme. The Project has been developed with an emphasis on ensuring its sustainability over the long term; it's involvement with"To the Max" will last until August 2005 when the Young People participating will take part in the local Summer Music and Arts Festival.

2nd quarterly visit – 21st June 2005 

The pilot has now secured the future sustainability of their programme. Through the work that has been carried out in developing Youth Literacies the group have taken significant steps forward in three key areas:

• Youth Works have successfully completed an Adult Literacies Training, accredited by Reid Kerr College, Paisley.
• They have made links with The Girvan Youth Trust and have identified a suitable worker from that organisation to train some of the older participants in become peer trainers. This is developing an appreciation among the participants of the skills they already possess and has allowed workers to address any literacies issue that arise in a positive and non-threatening context.
• They have negotiated partnership work with other agencies and service providers within the local area. One of the more significant of these being with Careers Scotland, how are now providing ‘drop-in’ provision, within the Youth Café, every Tuesday afternoon. Support for C.V. writing and developing Interview Techniques is provided, this allows literacies issues to be identified and addresses.