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, places, and not forgetting what they get up to!
This time we visited Shackles Off in Seascale, which can be found in The Old Vicarage in the village.
This group misses nothing. Trips to escape rooms and trampoline parks, community projects, movie nights – Shackles Off has it all!
The group runs sessions three times a week for those aged 11+ and one session a week for those aged 6+.
Ethan is 13 and has been a part of Shackles Off for a couple of years, he says: “My favourite thing about this group is that everyone always has something to say, and they are all really funny.
“We do all sorts of different activities, we can pretty much do anything we want and are interested in – it’s great!”
Like many other youth groups in the area, Shackles Off focuses on giving young people a place to meet their friends, have fun, and grow into the best versions of themselves.
Lauren Oaten was a Youth Worker at Shackles Off for over three years, she says the group is one of her favourite places to be: “We do so many fun activities, I love seeing the kids grow and develop – quite a lot of our members started when they were six or seven years old and they’ve kept on coming back until they are 17 and 18 years old – it is really rewarding the see.”
Robbie is 12 years old and has only been going to Shackles Off for a couple of months he says “I’ve met a lot of new friends since coming to the group.
“It is a nice group, everyone is really friendly and kind – there is no need to be nervous, just come and see why we all love it so much!”
Shackles Off aren’t just based in Seascale either, they also run two sessions a week in Millom at the Guide Hall – so keep an eye out, because we’ll be heading there very soon to bring you everything you need to know about those sessions too.
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