Youth service manager Matt Pollard explains what AYP Connect offers young people in Littlehampton.
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00:00I'm Matt Pollard, Youth Service Manager for Arran Youth Projects.
00:03And what can you tell us about this new drop-in centre for young people in Islehampton?
00:07So this youth drop-in is open on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday afternoons,
00:10three till seven on a Tuesday and three till six on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
00:14It's for young people 11 to 17 and we're here to give young people somewhere safe to come in,
00:20hang out after school, play Xbox, have some food and drink with us.
00:23It's a home away from home so we want young people to know they can just come in and chill out
00:27but also chat to supportive youth workers about whatever might be going on for them
00:31or not chat to us and just sit and people watch because we're right on the roundabout
00:34and there's lots of things to watch so yeah, come and get involved.
00:38And why is this so important for Little Hampton? What was the motivation to start this?
00:43So a young person gave me the idea four years ago and told me that
00:46Little Hampton would never have a drop-in on the high street and I sort of thought
00:50let's, that's a challenge, I want to take that challenge and when the funding opportunity came
00:54up I applied for that funding alongside some of his peers and the young people in the high street
00:59and some young people that have been involved in some situations in town and they supported
01:04us to get this open with their views, their opinions and their wishes and it was taken
01:09seriously and we were given a big pot of money from a nice grant and we're open and we're here
01:13till April 2026 and we just want to see this space used by all young people, past even if it's
01:19dropping for 10 minutes on your way somewhere or you went for a train or you want to come in
01:23with your friends or bring someone here, just come along.