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.

Emily

“I first heard about Pie at age 13. I was a participant in the Art Beat Project at Turner Contemporary where organisations came together to inspire well-being for young people in the community. All summer we were working towards an exhibition at the Turner, called The Wellbeing Fest. This event had a lot of excitement about it and was even in the local paper.

Pie also helped with my independence. I heard about the event (Art Beat) at school and I was determined to go. My parents were unable to take me so I would wake up extra early to take the bus down to that day’s location and take the bus back again. There was always food provided when I got there which was a godsend, to be honest. I was able to take part in so many activities that I otherwise would never have been able to do.

In my life after Pie, I am currently studying for my Masters in Media and Global Communication at City London University while working at Marks and Spencer as an Assistant Trader for the International Home team. I hope to go into Events planning for the charity sector, to create events like the Art Beat Project. Pie has helped me get to where I am because the staff helped me pick out my GCSEs, which in turn led to me studying art and fashion. 

For young people, my dream reflects upon the real world and events happening around us. The world is crazy at the moment with global pandemics, political and economic changes, it is honestly sad and quite worrying to see the pressures society puts on young people. I hope the next generation can have a better childhood with no worries or pressure, that they can dream big and be blissfully unaware. And be children! Sometimes our generation wants to grow up so fast but we really need to appreciate the moment we are currently in and enjoy what we have now.

Pie was the first step for me truly understanding myself, they offered me an amazing opportunity that summer to learn, create and get away from my day-to-day life. I will be forever grateful for that.“