After the results came in for Cumbria County Council's Youth Consultation, the team at the council found that a lot of young people were asking for local services that already existed in the area.
So, we've set out to document these local places and help you find them much more easily.
In Cumbria there are loads of services for young people, from football to theatre groups and even the good old youth clubs – there is something for everyone, but you might not know they exist, so we’re here to help!
Over the next few months, we’ll be visiting different youth services around the county to find out everything you need to know, including times, days, and places, and not forgetting what they get up to!
This time we visited Distington Club for Young People, which can be found just off the main street.
This group has a jam-packed timetable with sessions for those aged up to 11, as well as 11 and over, planned at least four times a week, every week.
Christine Pattinson runs the group at Distington and has done for 20 years, she said: “My favourite part of my job is meeting so many young people and watching them grow up and become great people.”
Activities at the club include: movie nights, arts and crafts, trips away to outward bound in the summer – and so much more!
“We cook every week, as well as doing different sports – we have basketball courts outside and every couple of weeks we head over to Lakes College to use the sports hall for football.” Christine added.
On Friday nights, Christine and her volunteers run a project evening which allows the young people to get involved in social action projects within the community – as well as completing different qualifications that look great on a CV.
She said: “We’re not just getting kids off the street, we’re preparing them for their future as well.
“We have people come to us for references for jobs and to support college and university applications – once you’re part of the club, you’re in it for life, and you’ll make friends for life.
“I’ve seen so many people come through this group in the 20 years I’ve been here, some started as children and now they bring their own children – it’s a big part of the community!”
So, if we haven’t sold it to you – why not give it a go yourself! Head down to Distington Club for Young People and see what you can get up to!
Psst, we're out here fighting for change.
Have you ever wanted more from Cumbria? Let us know your thoughts so we can do more to make Cumbria a better place.
Check out our Google Forms survey here: https://forms.gle/Ppj3iNrUq9VeQQN77