Voluntary Organisations Section
As stated on the previous page the voluntary and community sector plays a key role in delivering high quality appropriate and responsive services to children, young people and their families in Wrexham.
This section of the website intends to provide background information as to ‘where we are’ in terms of planning and evaluation structural arrangements for services for children, young people and families in Wrexham.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
‘Wrexham Refreshed’ was Wrexham Borough County’s first Community Vision and was developed by the Wrexham Community Strategy Partnership and aimed to improve social, economic and environmental well-being of the whole community. The overriding vision for 2004 - 2016 was to:
"TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL IN THE COUNTY BOROUGH"
The Community Vision was intended to provide a common sense of direction for the community and an overarching framework within which different partners, organisations and groups whether they be voluntary, statutory or private could co-operate together to improve life for the people in the County Borough.
Extensive consultation took place as part of the community vision process to determine the priorities of local people, which indicated that if the vision was to become a reality, progress needed to be made on six strategic priorities:
- A place that values learning
- A safe place
- A healthy, caring place
- An economically prosperous place
- A place that cares for the environment
- A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ARE VALUED
SO, HOW CAN WE MAKE WREXHAM A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ARE VALUED!
Aim: To provide a framework so that our children and young people can have high aspirations and realise their dreams
Background: It is thought that by investing in our children and young people now will create a better future for our communities. In the UK the number of children living in poverty has increased alongside the number of single parent families. Family breakdown and social exclusion contribute to poor educational attainment, involvement in crime, increased numbers of teenage conceptions and low self-esteem and aspiration. Government programmes have increasingly recognised the need to invest and target resources at the very young to improve their life chances and support personal development. But there is still more to be done. Therefore they aim to build on these to create a rational and co-ordinated approach to all of the services focused on children and young people and their families.
Key Objectives: In order to improve opportunities for children and young people, a number of key objectives were identified:
- To involve and engage children and young people in decisions that affect their lives and involve parents in all areas that affect children
- To improve support for parents and encourage better parenting generally and greater involvement of grandparents
- To increase the availability of safe leisure and cultural activities and more opportunities for play and creativity
- To improve opportunities for children in need
- To support young people to live independently
The Children and Young People's Framework Partnership are responsible for developing and progressing the priorities and targets within this theme through two key Welsh Assembly Government strategies:
‘Early Entitlement’ which sets out intentions with regard to services for 0-10 year olds and ‘Extending Entitlement’ for 11-25 year olds.
Please click here for a copy of a 'A Guide to Wrexham Refreshed 2009 - for Voluntary Organisations working with Children, Young People and their Families' booklet, that is produced by AVOW's Children and Young People's Development Officer to help simplify the Children and Young People's Framework Partnership Structure and Role and the way in which Voluntary Organisations and Community Groups can become involved in its work!
