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16 November 2023 - Genesis Youth CentreY Services hosted Fareham Borough Council's (FBC) Leader Cllr Woodward, as well as Cllr's Hockley, Bayford, Walker and Burton, and facilitated an evening of discussion and questions with 25 local young people.
Two young people attended from Sarisbury Junior School to ask if FBC could build a pump track, as well as representatives from Y Services provision at Genesis, Crofton, and Oasis.
The evening was split into two sections, small groupwork discussion on issues that affect young people and an opportunity to ask questions to the Leader.
Areas young people don't feel safe
Where do you spend time when not at school?
Q. Should more be done to provide young people with mental health support?
Mental health and well-being support services are managed and delivered by the NHS. Cllr Woodward agreed it was very important for young people to know where they could go to get support.
Q. There isn't much for young people to do in Titchfield Common - should there be more?
Cllr Woodward mentioned the open space at Hunts Pond Road, Waypoint Church and the facilities it provides and Holly Hill where it has a leisure centre, outdoor gym equipment and MUGA.
Q. Can the Council provide money to make improvements to the Genesis Centre?
The Council spends money on providing the building, which Y Services are going to lease. This means any improvements to the inside of the building will be for Y Services to identify and make happen. The Council can provide support to find other funds they can apply for to help make these improvements.
Q. Why did you become a Councillor?
To make a difference that I could clearly see.
Q. Do you like what Y Services do?
We love Y Services! Youth provision is the responsibility of Hampshire County Council and when they pulled their support away, Fareham Borough Council stepped in to help.
Q. Can we have more lighting in Blackbrook Park
Residents don't like parks lit because more people gather there after dark and make noise. The Council has to balance lots of different needs. The place to start to explain your need is with your Ward Councillor, who can be found here.
Q. Is the Council doing any work to conserve the environment?
The Council has half a million trees that it looks after, along with areas of parks and woodland. When considering planning applications, it demands a Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment to detail how any impact of the plans will be counterbalanced by environmental measures and also considers how to balance the nitrates being produced by the scheme.
Q. How old were you when you became a Councillor?
25 – I stood as a Councillor at 24 but lost. I then won the following year!
Q. What can be done to make Fareham a better place?
Not to drop litter! We spend £1 million picking up litter each year. If we didn't have to do this, we could spend it on more exciting things. We recently bought Fareham Shopping Centre to improve it and make it more attractive and relevant to our lives. We're also opening Fareham Live next year which will be a great new entertainment centre. Money is always an issue but we're proud of our town and what we have achieved.
Q. The cinema and bowling alley all cost money. Are there any discounts to make them accessible for young people? A lot of young people have jobs but the minimum wage is £5.28 and costs are high in comparison.
Discounts are available. A real bargain is the Council's Access All Areas scheme over summer where you can book on 4 activities for only £10.
Q. Will you put more shops into Fareham Shopping Centre and support businesses?
In Fareham Shopping Centre a lot of the shops have closed down. In the last 5 years 85% of department stores have closed across the country, although we are lucky that many independent shops in Fareham West Street continue to thrive. The future of Fareham Town Centre will be leisure and housing with fewer shops as people shop in different ways online now.
Q. Paved surfaces in Fareham Town Centre are in need of repair. How do we get them fixed?
You can report these using an app called Fix My Street.
Q. Do you love diversity?
Yes!
Q. What is your proudest achievement as a Councillor?
Bringing Daedalus back from the dead.
Q. Why is there no bus service from Titchfield to Brookfield School?
The buses are run by private companies – if they won't make a profit on a route they can't run the bus for that route.
Q. Is it possible to have a hub for young people where they can go if there feeling overwhelmed or stressed?
This sounds challenging as it would need a venue. Could the youth clubs be used? If a charity would like to set up a service, the Council may be able to provide a shopping unit for free. We will think on this one!
Q. There are no sharps bins in Genesis for people with diabetes. How can we make the service more accessible? Also we need to know first aid!
The Council has a contract to empty sharps bins if Y Services get one. We will look at delivering a First Aid course for young people at Genesis.
Q. Woods tend to be peaceful so great for walking but don't feel safe as they are not lit. Can anything be done?
Although Holly Hill Woodland Park isn't lit, Coldeast Park is much less gloomy so people have choices of where they would prefer to go.
Q. What will you do to promote tolerance of diversity and reduce discrimination?
The Council is very supportive of equality and diversity, and even has a policy about this! You can find what the Council's equality objectives for 2022-2026 are here. In summary, we aim to understand the mixes of characteristics in our community, celebrate diversity and inclusivity and promote a culture of equality.
The vast majority of those present said they had learnt more about what Fareham Borough Council does, what the role of a councillor is and had felt listened to.
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