St George's Court, Upper Church Street, Douglas, IM1 2SG. Tel: (01624) 685810, email: youthservice@doe.sch.im

THE Youth and Community Division has the role of securing, developing and improving the physical, mental and moral welfare of young persons in co-operation with voluntary youth organisations.

It is comprised of the Play Service, Youth Service, Careers Service and Library Service.

The aim of the Division is to 'meet the needs of individuals and groups within the community in order to enable them to develop their potential to become positive and contributing members of society with a caring and tolerant attitude to others'.

PLAY AND YOUTH SERVICES

Website: www.iomyouth.com

Young people choose to use youth service provision. They do so for many reasons - to meet friends, to have fun, to spend time in a safe environment, to take part in specific activities, to develop projects with other young people, to build relationships with adults or to get help and advice. In turn, youth workers, together with young people develop a programme of activities which promote personal and social development, which are enjoyable, educational and challenging.

The play clubs and youth clubs must provide a varied and balanced programme to cater for the young people in the area.

The Play Service clubs are activity based, and have staffing ratios of up to 1:15. In youth clubs the members have more involvement in the planning and organisation of activities.

The programmes are founded upon the youth work curriculum and vary from club to club, but will typically include sport, crafts, visits to places of interest, drama and outdoor activities such as canoeing, abseiling and walking.

Special projects provide opportunities for young people to develop and learn new skills in citizenship, alongside social development activities including, arts, music, sport and interaction with other groups.

Young people in these groups are actively involved in the planning and delivery of the youth work curriculum.

The Department has responsibility for outdoor centres at Ardwhallan in West Baldwin and Eary Cushlin, near Dalby.

It is also an Operating Authority for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme. For more information on the Department's Play and Youth Services go to www.iomyouth.com

Youth and Community Division premises in the ownership of the Department are:

• Family Library, Noble’s Hall, Westmoreland Road, Douglas

• Castletown Youth Centre, Arbory Street, Castletown

• Douglas Youth Centre, Kensington Road, Douglas

• Laxey Youth Resource Centre, 19 New Road, Laxey

• Peel Youth Centre, Chapel Lane, Peel

• Pulrose Youth Centre, Heather Crescent, Douglas

• Ramsey Youth Centre, Waterloo Road, Ramsey

• Rushen Youth Centre, Bay View Road, Port Erin

• Youth wing, Auldyn School

• Youth Wing, Ballacottier School

• Youth Wing, Cronk y Berry School

• Youth wing, St. John's School

Clubs and projects also meet in other schools as well as premises hired from village and parish commissioners, in a variety of locations. The Department is also the Trustee of the Ardwhallan Jubilee Trust, which owns Ardwhallan Outdoor Education Centre in West Baldwin.

The Careers Centre and Youth Office are based in St. George’s Court in Douglas, using the entrance at the Hill Street / Upper Church Street junction. Disabled access is through the Hill Street entrance.

CAREERS GUIDANCE SERVICE

At the Careers Guidance Service we provide:

• a wide range of careers leaflets

• Higher Education prospectuses for reference or loan

• reference books for loan

• a number of computer programmes to assist in career choice

• a vacancy placing service for employers seeking young people to fill full-time vacancies

• internet access for job and course seekers

• statistical information on school leavers and youth unemployment.

Careers Advisers give advice to:

• young people at school or college and their parents to help them consider their future careers • adults who are unemployed, seeking a change of career or returning to work after a career break

• young people who are unemployed or in training

• those wishing to leave or change education courses

• employers who require information on employment trends, legislation and developments in education

• Higher Education students or graduates seeking employment or post-graduate training.

LIBRARY SERVICE

The Family Library at Noble’s Hall is open Tuesday -Saturday; phone 673123 for detailed opening times.

The Hall is also home to the Mobile Library.

The Family Library:

• provides a library for all the Island’s young people

• promotes and encourages reading for enjoyment and knowledge, and stimulates confidence, imagination and creativity

• has a large collection which includes board books and picture books, reading schemes and books for beginners and confident readers, classic fairytales, bedtime stories, annuals and puzzle books, audio books on CD, music CDs covering classical, jazz, blues, world music and soundtracks, a non-fiction section which covers all project and hobby topics for all ages, a collection of DVDs for all ages, including foreign language films, a Young Adult Plus section for older members, general child care and guidance

• has a young adult area with a study table and collections that include classic fiction, sci-fi, 'Manga' and graphic novels, popular titles and the best of contemporary fiction, music and film

• has a calendar of competitions and events, including a summer reading scheme

• has free internet access and staff to provide encouragement and assistance

• has reserved selections of books, including Big Books, for loan to teachers and nursery nurses for use in the classroom.

Mobile Library:

Provides a library service to the Island’s rural communities, to promote literacy, lifelong learning and reading for pleasure. The library contains a selection of books including general fiction, thrillers, romance, westerns and science fiction / fantasy. The collection also includes non - fiction biographies, history, travel, crafts, gardening, health and fitness, true crime and war.

The mobile library:

• has a collection of books in large print and books on cassette and CDs

• covers 10 routes each fortnight from Laxey to Dalby and Cregneash to Bride - and all points in-between not served by borough or commissioners' libraries

• has 93 stopping points and makes 25 house calls to individuals who are unable to visit the library

• visits 22 residential homes throughout the Island and has a separate service to residential homes in Douglas

• has a separate housebound service, operated with a smaller vehicle

• offers a service to primary schools, by delivering a selection of books every six weeks and supporting teachers

• offers an exchange of books to the Isle of Man Prison every 3 months.