During October Bridlington CYP’s Youth Hub proudly launched its very first ‘CYP Community Crew’ event, marking another exciting step in the club’s mission to empower young people and strengthen community connections.
For just over a year, the Youth Hub has been developing a wide-ranging programme of clubs and sessions for young people in the town, most of which are completely free to access.
The offer includes youth clubs, after-school drop-ins, holiday activities and a dedicated sports, arts and activity group for home-educated young people.
Alongside these regular sessions, CYP has also introduced one-off projects such as Self-Defence for Girls, the CYP Bike Fix project, St John Ambulance – Street First Aid, and an inspiring Graffiti Art project, which saw over 60 young people work together to create a vibrant mural that now welcomes visitors to the CYP site.
The idea of the new CYP Community Crew was born out of the Youth Hub’s busiest Thursday evening youth club, where 30–40 young people regularly attend.
Its aim is to help young people recognise their value within the community, develop life skills, and understand the importance of giving back – while still having fun and learning along the way.
The first event focused on the environment. Young people had noticed that the Gypsey Race beck, which runs down the side of CYP’s large 22-acre site, had become clogged with rubbish and debris. Together with staff, they designed a plan to clean the beck and the wider site, identifying safety points and deciding how best to organise themselves.
On the day, 25 young people and the CYP Youth Hub team formed three groups, armed with gloves, litter pickers, waders, wellies, and bin bags. After an incredible effort, the teams collected an impressive 23 bags of rubbish and debris, transforming the beck and surrounding areas.
A team of young reporters – Hollie, Ellie-Anne and Jess – captured the day in photos and interviews. Their reflections highlighted CYP’s role as “a place of kindness and safety” where everyone is encouraged to be “respectful and friendly.”
Speaking about the project, Scarlett, one of the participants, said: “I am doing this to be helpful.” Another young person, Rai, explained their motivation: “The stuff in the beck goes into the harbour and then that goes into the sea.”
This first Community Crew event has already shown the potential of young people to make a meaningful impact in their town, while building teamwork, responsibility and pride. With more projects planned, the CYP Youth Hub is set to continue giving young people opportunities to shape their community and grow together.
If you are interested in finding out more about what’s on offer at the Youth Hub, have any ideas for our Community Crew events, or simply want to offer support in some way, you can visit Bridlington CYP’s website: bridlingtoncyp.org or get in touch via e-mail: youthclub@bridlingtoncyp.org
