Over the past 10 years, Rose Hill Junior Youth Club has played an important role in supporting local families in numerous ways.
Starting out as a small youth club in the old Community centre based at The Oval in Rose Hill, the club supported many community events, parent support groups and additional activities, before moving to Oxford City Council’s new-build Community centre in 2016.
The club then expanded beyond its role as a youth club, with the team working tirelessly to fundraise to provide additional support for children, young people and their families as their membership grew significantly.
This has included coming up with new ways to support children through one-to-one mentoring, tailored support in schools from experienced staff and creative therapies. Rose Hill Junior Youth Club has also formed many partnerships with other organisations to bring further free activities and opportunities to the community.
“It’s given generations of Rose Hill young people positive experiences and a sense of community and support.”
Alan Foulkes- Former Oxford City Council Localities Officer
“JYC is integral to helping the Rosehill Neighbourhood Police Team engage with the younger community at the Community Centre.“
TVP’s Rose Hill Neighbourhood Police Team
Over the past year, the charity has adapted to the changing circumstances caused by the pandemic.
Due to national lockdowns, the team found new ways to work, creating and making support boxes that were sent out weekly to families. Boxes included multiple arts and crafts activities, puzzles, cooking activities and easy gardening activities.
In mid-2020, the youth club also acquired an allotment space with a view to providing a safe space for children to still access its services outdoors. Hundreds of young people have now had the chance to visit, experience the space, do arts and crafts projects, build planters, learn how food grows and how to maintain the environment. Read more here.
The pandemic has also increased the need for the charity to continuously fundraise the extra costs of supporting children and young people who are experiencing the effects of the pandemic, including poor mental health, isolation, grief, and disruption to education, you can read more about the mentoring work here.
Despite all the challenges, RHJYC has survived 10 years, and continues to strive to support families in and around Rose Hill, who come to enjoy the youth club and the charities many other projects and services.