Home Scotland engage with Dumfries youngsters to combat ASB

Two Dumfries-based housing associations have joined forces in a bid to tackle the problem of youths causing anti-social behaviour on one of the town’s estates.

Home Scotland and Irvine Housing Association recently launched a youth engagement pilot scheme, known as ‘Me & My Neighbourhood’, in the Lincluden area - particularly in Newbridge Drive where the organisations have a joint development.

It is in response to an increase in anti-social behaviour among young people on the estate.

Working in partnership with Dumfries & Galloway Council, the Dumfries & Galloway Police Anti Social Behaviour Task Force, Community Learning & Development, Family Learning, Youth Alive and ECHO, the two organisations are seeking to tackle this issue in a positive way by engaging with young people and their families to gain a greater understanding of their needs and aspirations, discussing these together and supporting them to take forward their ideas to improve the neighbourhood in which they live.

This began recently with a consultation exercise involving 11 young people aged 12-16 from properties belonging to Home Scotland and Irvine Housing, as well as young people from The Attic Youth Project run by Community Learning & Development in Lincluden.

The consultation was held in the local branch of McDonald’s, who sponsored the event by providing meals for all the young people. Some of the topics the group looked at included what they thought about the recent bad press about young people, what they liked and disliked about their neighbourhood and how they would change that.

Among the comments were that young people would like multi-use games area), better football facilities, their own Newbridge Drive football team and more youth workers.

The next stage of the process has involved setting up a working group involving parents of under-12s to discuss youth engagement, consulting with other young people in Newbridge Drive area and applying for funding.

The Youth Engagement Steering Group has just been successful in receiving £2,500 funding from Neighbourhood Renewal & Family Learning for activities over the summer.

A small working group involving parents and children aged 9-11 were involved in ‘ice cream in the wee park’, which gave local children free ice cream an opportunity to gather summer activity ideas for this age group. The top choice was a family day trip to Cream of Galloway on 14th August. The 12-16s have also organised a visit to Laser Quest & ten-pin bowling.

Margaret McGroggan, Home Scotland’s Community Regeneration Programme Officer, said: “We are still only in the very early stages of the project but we are already seeing signs that anti-social behaviour is decreasing in the area.

“It is clear that many of the problems are caused by nothing more than boredom and with the young people input we are now looking at ways to provide more opportunities and facilities for the young people partners.”

Marie Brown, Housing Manager at Irvine Housing Association, said: “Irvine Housing Association is committed to working in partnership with Home Scotland and all partner agencies for the benefit of all residents within the Newbridge area.

“Positive engagement with the young people of the area is one strand of this approach, but one which even at this early stage is reaping rewards in terms of reduced incidences of anti social behaviour.

“By continuing to encourage and support the involvement of the young people of the area, in activities which they have suggested and developed themselves, we are confident that further progress can be made in making the Newbridge area a successful living environment enjoyed by all residents.”

Home Scotland, which was recently named Large Housing Association of the Year in the Scottish Home Awards, and Irvine Housing Association officially opened their joint Newbridge Drive development in 2008. Irvine manages 34 of the properties, while the remaining 29 are owned and managed by Home Scotland. In total, Home Scotland manage 142 homes in that part of Dumfries.