All youth services in Hailsham were recently closed by the town’s council to protect the youngsters who use them – and now, workers are sending a message of positivity to help them get through this difficult period.
Andy Joyes, youth project coordinator at Hailsham Town Council said: “With all the guidance from the Government now impacting in our everyday lives, we’ve put measures in place to make sure we’re protecting the health and safety of young people in Hailsham and residents at large. It’s crucial that we’re all following the latest health advice from the NHS and Public Health England – and it is our duty as youth workers to look after the health, safety and wellbeing of local young people who use our services and facilities, as well as our staff members.”
He added; “While we were very sad to have to temporarily close our services as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, we are still here for young people if they need us, online and via social media.”
Young people in Hailsham can stay updated, join in on discussions, take part in activities and keep in touch with the youth worker team via its Facebook page and in particular, a new Instagram page.
Young people are encouraged to connect with discussions on how they are all managing whilst being socially isolated and take part in various online activities, including interactive challenges, and recommendations on which films and TV programmes to watch and what games to play on their smartphones.
Maintaining contact with young people and keeping them engaged and in touch with each other too during this difficult time is vital, according to the team, especially with the recent closure of face-to-face services.
Andy continued; “We’d like to tell all local young people to follow the social distancing guidelines issued by the Government – nobody is invincible or immune to the virus and even those who don’t experience any of the COVID-19 symptoms or become ill are urged to do the right thing and stay at home.
Social distancing and self-isolation bring challenges for everyone. But many young people can face a particularly hard time. Therefore, we encourage them to take care of their well-being during the lockdown and try to do new things or things they already enjoy – for example, doing some baking, trying a new fitness app, creating a piece of art, or accessing home education tools online or via smartphone apps.
For now, remember all of the important things we regularly talk about in groups, stay safe, look after each other and of course, be kind.”
Regular updates and activities can be accessed on Hailsham Youth Service’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/HailshamYouthService/) and Instagram account (www.instagram.com/hailshamyouth/).
