We’ve received the news that Kent County Council will be going ahead with cutting commissioned youth services as outlined in the consultation they published this summer.

So many of you sent heartfelt responses in support of Pie’s work, and the importance of open-access youth work generally – thank you. We are so grateful for the messages of love and encouragement we received and continue to receive from our community – it gives us the motivation and courage to carry on, despite the difficulties.

As we come to the end of our current youth service contracts – the end of March 2024 – we will be reflecting on our programmes, strategy and plans for the future; making sure that we do our best to continue providing a level of service and pastoral care that young people deserve. There will be some necessary changes to what we deliver and where from April 2024, and we’ll make sure you are kept informed as we go along.

While the final result is disappointing, we are nonetheless feeling hopeful and excited about what the future holds for Pie; our music and creative arts programmes such as the Emerging Artists programme and Open Arms are going from strength to strength, and we will be taking the energy and momentum from our campaigning with us into collaborations with new funders, partners and supporters.

We believe in a world where every young person has a good quality of life with equal access to creative opportunities and a community of support, and we are committed to advocating for this until this is the reality for all young people in our community. With that in mind – we need your help!

Join our fundraising supergroup!

What’s the commitment?

From February to July 2024 we are asking for:
– 6 x 2-hour roundtable meetings for the fundraising supergroup (2 meetings a month)
– 2 x monthly phone / video calls with the CEO & senior management team for coaching / strategy input
– Responding in a timely manner (i.e. within a week) to emails from the CEO for these 6 months.

Why give us your time and skills for free?

We know this is a big ask – people are very busy and belts couldn’t be tighter. But we believe that with an injection of short-term coaching and tangible support into Pie’s senior management team in the run-up to a period of substantial change for the organisation, we will be further shored up to sustain our vital services whatever comes our way.

In spring 2024 we will launch a fuller recruitment drive to expand our Board of Trustees, and this short-term volunteer role is a brilliant opportunity for someone thinking about supporting our charity but not able to commit to the longer-term responsibilities of being a full Trustee.

This in-kind support will boost the current fundraising we have underway and strengthen our future bids and fundraising portfolio; actively demonstrating the belief that our community has in what we do – it is invaluable.

Interested?

Please email our CEO at zoe@piefactorymusic.com for an informal chat.

Thank you for your past, present and future support.

Love,

Team Pie

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We need your help to save commissioned youth services in Kent!

We believe Kent County Council’s proposed cuts to commissioned youth services as part of the transformation to a new Family Hub model will significantly limit, and potentially eradicate, open-access youth work across the county, leaving the vast proportion of young people without sufficient accessible educational and leisure activities outside of school/college. Help us in speaking up against the cuts, by responding to the consultation by 13 September 2023.

Say no to the cuts

With 85% of a young person’s waking hours spent outside of school and formal education, where the loss of youth services is pronounced, vulnerable young people in particular are falling prey to loneliness, poor mental health and fear of youth violence or at risk of exploitation. In areas investing in youth services, we see a positive commitment to young people’s inclusion in decision-making, community engagement and increased life skills.

After a decade of cuts to local youth services exceeding 70%, and at a time of increased need and demand for youth services, it is not reasonable to further cut such services.

KCC are proposing to co-locate children and youth services under the new Family Hub framework. The proposal states KCC’s intention to deliver ‘in-house youth provision’ as part of the Family Hub model. KCC’s current youth provision, however, is focused on targeted case work, working with high-needs young people, which significantly limits the amount – if any – open-access youth work that KCC can deliver. The vast majority of current open-access youth work is being delivered by Kent’s commissioned providers, with Pie Factory Music delivering the commissions for Thanet and Dover districts. However, due to KCC needing to save money, they have taken the decision to cut existing commissioned youth services from the Family Hub model proposed.

Pie Factory Music, and other commissioned providers, believe that the proposed Family Hub model does not meet KCC’s statutory duty to secure sufficient educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people which are for the improvement of their wellbeing, and sufficient facilities for such activities, which is required by the statutory duty for local authorities as outlined in Section 507b Education and Inspections Act 2006.

The added value that commissioned services such as those delivered by Pie Factory Music bring to the youth offer in Kent stand to be lost with the end of youth service commissions – such (and not limited to) music and creative arts programmes, sports, skating, cooking and bike maintenance projects, youth volunteering and social action projects, gardening groups and Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Pie’s CEO Zoë Carassik-Lord outlines the damaging impact the proposed model will have:

We’re asking you to say no to cutting commissioned youth services

Join us in opposing the proposed cuts to commissioned youth services, by responding to the consultation before the deadline of 13th September 2023.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Respond to the consultation via KCC’s website / email / phone number. Every response counts, and the more noise that is made, the more likely the services will be saved.

The consultation runs until 13 September 2023. 

Complete the online form at www.kent.gov.uk/familyhubservices. 

Alternatively, fill in a paper form available from children’s centres and youth hubs and return it to Freepost FAMILY HUB SERVICES CONSULTATION. 

You can also give feedback by email, letter or phone at familyhubsfeedback@kent.gov.uk / 03000 419292.

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2. Send a copy of your response to local politicians and encourage them to submit their own opposition to the proposal to the consultation.

Find KCC members

Find TDC councillors

Find MPs

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3. Attend one of the community consultation events – we will be there! Bring placards
and banners! For details, visit www.kent.gov.uk/familyhubservices.  

Tuesday 22 August 10am to 2pm, Dame Janet Primary Academy, Newington Road, Newington, Ramsgate CT12 6QY

Thursday 10 August 1-3pm, School field next to Sunflower Children’s Centre, Adelaide Road, Eythorne, Dover, CT15 4AN

Tuesday 15 August 11am-1pm, School field next to Samphire Children’s Centre, St David’s Avenue, Dover CT17 9HJ

4. Share the link to the consultation on your social media and encourage your followers to take part.

Use our pre-made social media image to add to your post.

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Read the consultation documents

The consultation documents can be found at:
• Summary document
• Easy-read summary document
• Easy read questionnaire (for submitting to the consultation)
• Section 507b Education and Inspections Act 2006
• Guidance for Local Authorities on Providing Youth Services (National Youth Agency)

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Respond to the consultation

Thank you for taking action and speaking up.

If you’d like to talk to our team about Pie’s response to the consultation, email us at info@piefactorymusic.com.

Calling young music enthusiasts aged 13-17 years… join us on a journey to re-imagine and record your favourite cover songs and make a short EP.

The EP will be released on Pie Factory Music’s record label Wantsum Music?.

Under the expert guidance of our experienced creative practitioners, Matt Smyth and Dave Morris, you will delve into the realms of recording, producing, arranging, and playing as a band. Additionally, you’ll gain valuable insights into the EP release process, including brainstorming an EP name and designing the artwork.

Whether you play an instrument, sing, create beats, or have an interest in music technology and recording, we would love to hear from you!

The Take Two recording project starts on Thursday 10th August at Pie Factory Music HQ in Ramsgate (CT11 0QG) and runs for eight weeks.

Take the first step by filling out this application form

In the last year, youth charity Pie Factory Music has welcomed over 50 young unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees to its Open Arms sessions. To celebrate the compassion-led project’s first anniversary, the charity is holding an art exhibition of young people’s work during Refugee Week (17 – 25 June 2023).

Moving Stories showcases activist art created by the young refugees and asylum seekers aged 13 to 21 years from the Open Arms project and will be on show at Discovery Planet on Ramsgate High Street. The works amplify their voices and share important messages of compassion, positivity, resilience, and community, as powerful stories of their journey and lived experience.

Every Friday, the free Open Arms social sessions have created a warm, welcoming and inclusive space for young people from Afghanistan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Kurdistan, Ukraine, Syria and other countries who have fled their homes seeking asylum in the UK. Together, they make music and art, play games, dance and cook traditional recipes from their home countries, whilst making friends and connections and learning life skills. They’ve also taken part in new experiences such as Discovery Planet‘s science-inspired workshops.

Pie Factory Music CEO Zoë Carassik-Lord says:

“We started the Open Arms sessions last June in response to the growing need to provide a safe space for ALL young people in East Kent. It’s our duty at Pie to be here for every and any young person in and coming to East Kent. The programme demonstrates how people from different backgrounds can support and befriend each other, bridging cultural differences in a celebration of diversity and unity. We are immensely proud of this programme, which has inspired other organisations to create space for young asylum seekers and refugees too. We’d love for as many people in our community to celebrate these young people by coming to the exhibition, which we can’t wait to welcome people to, with open arms.”

Some of the powerful messages in the Moving Stories exhibition include:

Open Arms: Moving Stories – Compassion & Migration
Discovery Planet, 47 High St, Ramsgate CT11 9AG
Saturday 17th June 2023, 10am – 4pm
Entry is free
The exhibition will remain in place until Thursday 22nd June.

Open Arms sessions
Every Friday, 5 – 7:30pm
Pie Factory Music, Ramsgate Youth Centre
High St, St Lawrence, Ramsgate, CT11 0QG

*There will be a brief break from activities from Friday 30th June to Friday 4th August, resuming on Friday 11th August. We look forward to continuing our journey of building connections, promoting compassion, and empowering young unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees in Kent.

Open Arms is a programme for Young Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers and Refugees, 13 – 21 years old, in the care of Kent County Council/Medway local authority or another local authority and generously funded by NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group.

Our youth-led volunteer group ACT (Action Community Thanet!) has launched a youth food bank. ‘Bits and Bites’ is now open for young people aged under 25 years to access during Pie sessions and office opening hours at our Pie HQ in Ramsgate (CT11 0QG).

ACT is very aware that people around them may be struggling at the moment, especially with the UK’s current cost of living crisis. The importance of having a foodbank created by young people, for young people, has become a priority. ‘Bits and Bites’ is intended to help young people have fewer barriers to accessing essential food and toiletries.

Young people can access the food bank by coming to Pie HQ. The ‘Bits and Bites’ packages can be found in the foyer area. There’s no need to speak to anyone, just help yourself. The Food Bank is open during office times (Mon to Fri 9:30am – 5pm except for Bank Holidays) and when our Thanet youth sessions are running. For a timetable of our Thanet sessions, click the button below.

Having conversations when you’re struggling can be really hard and this is something that ACT has seen. However, in their recent Podcast Episode: Social Action with Pie’s Emerging Artists Conor and Zico they said that Pie was a really welcoming space when it comes to having those difficult conversations and that they hope that young people continue to feel comfortable chatting with their peers and supporting one another.

With huge thanks to Gibbons Health Trust who have funded ACT’s Bits and Bites. We hope the food bank will help many young people who need it.