YOUTH CLUB: Following growing concerns related to youth crime in Bergen south, the “Parent Reaction for a safer youth in Bergen south” gathered parents for several parent meetings last Monday. With a call to reclaim parenthood, over 3,000 parents flocked to Fana Arena to participate.
– In the wake of everything that is happening in Bergen south and the concerns related to the youth environment, it is important to show that we have meeting places for young people, says adviser Ingrid Brandal Mosesen in the Fana and Ytrebygda cultural office.
There are a number of youth clubs in Fana and Ytrebygda where young people can meet. Safe meeting places where adults are present. The youth clubs are for those in the 8th, 9th and 10th years of secondary school.
Youth clubs in Fana and Ytrebygda
The music club:
- Place: Linken, Fana culture house
- Time: Friday at 12.00-15.00
- Drop-in: Free entry
Nesttun YOUNG:
- Place: Linken, Fana culture house
- Time: Thursday at 16:00-19:00
- Age group: 8.-10. steps
- Drop-in. Free entrance
Sandsli YOUNG:
- Place: The round room at Ytrebygda cultural centre/Skranevatnet school
- Time: Tuesdays from 16.00–20.00
- Age group: 8-10. steps
- Drop-in. Free
Zinken UNG:
- Location: The sports hall at Zinken Hopp, Steinsvikvegen 278.
- Time: Friday at 19:00-22:00
- Age group: 8-10. steps
- Drop-in. Free
Need input
But even if the youth club offer in Bergen south is strong, visitor numbers are weak.
– The youth club at Fana cultural center is used a lot, but the other clubs in south Bergen struggle to get young people to visit. Sandsli UNG has had a big decline, says Mosesen.
Sandsli UNG is open every Tuesday from 4 pm to 8 pm. Fanaposten visits Sandsli UNG during opening hours on Tuesday. The club is completely empty.
– We have had to change the structure of the club a little, such as opening hours and age groups. And it was after these changes that visitor numbers dropped. We used to have quite a few visitors, says club manager at Sandsli UNG, Therese Egeland.
Now they are calling for input, especially from young people.
– We would like input on how we can make our clubs more attractive to young people. Although we try, we are not always up to date on what the young people want, so we are concerned that they come up with input themselves. Feel free to send us wishes and tips, says Mosesen.
Do you have input for offers or activities at Sandsli UNG or one of the other youth clubs? Feel free to send input via the Facebook page to Sandsli UNG or to the e-mail: [email protected].
– It can be anything from cosplay, cooking, gaming, making music, playing in a band, dancing, board games, making buttons, redesigning, knitting, crocheting or working in a sound studio. There are so many possibilities. But we just need to know what opportunities you young people want.
– But it is also important to understand why they don’t come to the club? Could there be other opening hours, for example?
Mosesen believes that part of the problem behind low visitor numbers is that the young people in the districts have not heard of the offers that exist.
– It is difficult for us as a municipal agency to reach out to young people. We do not have the opportunity to be in the same arena as the youth, such as Tiktok, Snapchat etc.
Podcast course
Right now, Sandsli UNG is offering a podcast workshop for young people at junior high school.
Here you can learn basic skills in podcasting and audio editing.
Sandsli UNG has professional equipment and experience, and it requires no prior knowledge. The workshop is completely free.
The workshop is on Tuesday 23 April and Tuesday 30 April from 17:00 to 19:00.
Registration and info: Deltager.no/bk keyword: podcast
It is also possible to pop in without registration if you are not sure if this is something you want to do.
Must be a sanctuary
The youth clubs are open to everyone at the youth level.
– Perhaps you have stopped playing sports or are looking for a new leisure activity? Here there are no requirements for goal achievement, come as you are, says Mosesen.
Mosesen believes that many in the parents’ generation think that the youth club is a place where troubled young people go, or a place with little to offer.
– But that is no longer the case. We have taken back the term youth club. There are a few other possibilities than bowls and billiards, as I usually say. Here the only limits are the imagination.
The youth clubs must be a safe place for young people. A place where young people can experience mastery and a place where you can be who you want to be.
– It is important that you have such a sanctuary. And it is important that parents know that they can safely send their young people.
