HeadSpace Swindon

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HeadSpace Swindon
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Background

• Project work with young people started in 2007
• Young people had regular sessions on different
  aspects of setting up HeadSpace when the new
  library was being built
• New library opened in Oct 08

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HeadSpace Events

• Drumming workshop
• Halloween storytelling
• Launch event
• - Melvin Burgess opened the area
• - Games and graphics workshop
• - Nintendo Wii Games
• - Evening music event
• Easter Egg Hunt
• Regular Nintendo Wii games
• Involvement in the making of a short film for
  CILIPs Public Library Awards

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Planned Events

• Drama workshop
• Art workshop
• Manga event and comic swap
• Poetry competition
• Boombox Djing skills

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Stats

• Over 200 young people involved in HeadSpace in
  some way
• 73 of those young people have been involved in
  designing and planning Swindon HeadSpace
• 68 come from a socially excluded background
• 20 young people accredited, or on their way to
  accreditation
• A further 23 get credits for their key stage
  work/GCSEs for the work they do in HeadSpace

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HeadSpace Youth Management

• Young people come to the management co-ordination
  group every Wednesday evening
• This is split into two sections the first hour
  is on HeadSpace project work, the second section
  is a choice of activities to keep things fun
• Folders of their work are kept as evidence for
  accreditation

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Partners

• Youth Service
• LACES (Looked After Childrens Education
  Service)
• STEP (Swindon Ten-Eighteen Project)
• Riverside Education Centre
• Isambard School
• Swindon Volunteer Centre

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Volunteers

• We have had 11 young people volunteer with
  HeadSpace
• We initially looked at the Book Waiter role
  and adapted it for Swindon young people
• Young people received training on the basic
  aspects of the library
• Whilst this had some success, it was found that
  those who volunteered for a particular activity
  (such as the Wii competitions) had more focus

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Volunteers Cont

• Some of the young people who have volunteered
  have been involved from the start
• Some are volunteering with other aspects of the
  library (such as craft events) for younger
  children
• It has also been beneficial to have a dedicated
  coordinator to support the work
• We are now working with the Youth Service to get
  DofE volunteers to work on activity evenings

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Key Issues

• To keep the volunteering focused on an activity
• Young people have support
• Partners who refer can support with awards
• Awareness of what the rest of the library is
  doing colleague support