Activities

COMMUNITY EVENTS

One off community days such as the very popular and fun half-term Bingo sessions, and table-top sales.

COMMUNITY CAFÉ

The community lunch café curently operates once a month on Fridays between 12.15-1.30pm. It offers a welcoming, safe, secure and inclusive space where members of the local community are able to come together and develop positive relationships, while enjoying a wholesome, satisfying, but cheap meal. The cafe also provides paid work experience for two local young people who previously were not in education or employment. The next cafe date is September 9th.

THE CREATIVE SPACE

On Thursday mornings between 9.15 and 12.15 there is a creative space in the community centre for adults of all ages. Facilitated by local artist Naomi Goldsmith, The Space is an opportunity to come and try new creative activities in a warm and suportive environment. Try your hand at painting, collage, creative writing, claywork or the medium of your choice. All are welcome to join in, and the cost is only 50p. Currently another artist is offering tuition in watercolour technique. all are welcome.

EXPLORE ARTS – Art and Dance Clubs

A three year programme in Art and Dance after school clubs for children and young people aged 5-16 years, which is funded by BBC Children in Need. All sessions are free of charge to local children and young people from the Cutteslowe Estate and include the following:

STREET DANCE CLUB on Tuesdays during term time
3.45 to 4.45pm for 5-11 year olds
FAMILY ART CLUB on Thursdays from 3.15 to 4.45pm during term time for 5-11 year olds and their parent/carers
SENIOR ART CLUB on Wednesdays from 4.00 to 6.00pm for 12-16 year olds. Senior Art Club has created a mural in the front room of the community centre with a group of girls. There have also been some sessions in music technology for the boys in the Wednesday night youth club.
ARTS AWARDS Young people aged 11-16 have the opportunity to take part in the nationally recognized Arts Awards programme at Bronze Level. For further infomation look at the Arts Awards website. www.artsawards.org.uk

YOUTH WORK

There are several thriving mid week youth groups run by a full-time youth worker who is funded by St Andrew's Church and who also does individual work with young people and families. He runs a weekly group for 12-16 year olds based on Restorative Justice principles. There is also a weekly Girls' Group and a young leaders initiate to enable young adults to become positive role models.

The youth worker is also involved in detached/street work. This model of youth work practice, targets vulnerable and excluded young people that mainstream youth work and other services do not reach. It takes place on young people's own territory such as street corners, cafes, and park benches - that are appropriate to them and on their terms. It begins from where young people are in terms of their values, attitudes, issues and ambitions, and is concerned with their personal, social, emotional and spiritual development.

The County Council Youth Worker for Wolvercote and Cutteslowe runs a weekly youth club and one and one-off events & outings. Young people from Cutteslowe also access the Wolvercote Young People's Club. Community Workers and Youth Workers join together to deliver creative projects in some school holidays such as half terms. A Youth Forum started in 2009 where young people can have their say in the delivery of services and activities. Summer residentials are organised by the Youth Service and St Andrew's Church in collaboration with Christians in Sport and Oxford Youth Works.

Young people aged 11-16 can work towards a bronze level Arts Award through participation in the Explore Arts project.

“I had an amazing experience and would love to do the silver award”. “I had lots of different experiences and found out about lots of new styles of dance”. NW aged 11, Bronze Award winner.

“Young people our age need RJ. If they're in difficulties at home or school or just issues in general. It always leads back to crime, drugs, drink or whatever. RJ should be in every youth club to be quite honest." Girl aged 17

In 2008 young people in Cutteslowe worked with a grafitti artist to paint a mural on the Cutteslowe footbridge. The project was developed with the Neighbourhood Action Group and the Youth Service with input from Oxford City Council Public Art Officer. The preparatory work on the bridge was done by Oxon County Council Bridges Department who also glazed the finished work.

A project is currently underway to paint the subway under the ringroad which leads to Cutteslowe Park.Young people aged 12-16 are working with mural artist Dionne Barber to design the mural. A grant has been given by North Area Committee and we are working again with the Bridges Department to plan the mural.

COACH MENTORING SCHEME

Toby Baxter (of Catalyst Trust) has been seconded by St Andrew’s to develop the C.O.A.C.H Community Mentoring Scheme and to support our youth work, being employed one day a week in Cutteslowe. A coach is a volunteer defined as a friend with purpose, coaching a young person or single parent towards their life goals. In 2010 Cutteslowe has 16 active coaches working one-to-one with troubled young people and families and making a real difference in terms of young people’s behaviour management and school attendance. More coaches are being trained in 2010.

CUTTESLOWE SENIORS

This is a thriving, friendly and supportive club for those aged 60 or over who live in the Cutteslowe area. It meets every fortnight on a Friday morning, alternating a social meeting (usually with a speaker) with an outing to a place of interest. It currently has around 30 members and is managed by a part-time co-ordinator and self-directed management committee.

EASE INTO EXERCISE

AgeUK run an exercise class in Cutteslowe Community Centre on Tuesday afternoons from 2 to 3.30pm for the Over 50s. This is a friendly group which has been running for many years. It is followed with a bit of time for socialising over a cup of tea.

SUMMER PLAY SCHEME

A three week summer playscheme takes place every summer holiday for 30 children aged 5-11 years. A wide range of activities is on offer including games and sport, cooking, drama, art and craft and weekly trips out to swimming and ice-skating. We usually also include a trip to Hill End Environmental Centre and to a local farm. The playscheme is led by two experienced Play Leaders with support from the Community Workers and supported by a great team oy young play assistants. It is very reasonably priced and as Nicola George of the Oxon Childcare Development Team remarked "offers a great service and very good value for money". Concessions for families receiving benefits. Look on the News page for details of the registration process.

ALLOTMENT

In the autumn of 2008 we acquired an allotment on the site just over the footbridge from the Community Centre. The aim is to involve local people in growing their own food for our community cafe and for their own use and also to have an outdoor space which can be used by the Art Club and other groups for drawing and gatherings. We were granted £500 from the Healthy Living Partnership to purchase tools, seeds and equipment.

Cutteslowe Primary School have been making regular weekly visits with Year 5 pupils who grew their first vegetables this year. We have had some invaluable support from volunteers from the Co-op who like all their employees to do a number of hours of voluntary service in the community. We would love to have some more local volunteers to get involved!