Swansea community groups forge US links

Two Swansea community groups will visit the city of Phoenix, in Arizona, later this month.

Around 14 young people from the Hope Group in Townhill will fly out to the American city on February 13th on an exchange with the Phoenix-based community regeneration project Chicanos por la Cuasa.

The Hope Group is made up of young people between the ages of 14 and 19, who have been engaged in a range of local initiatives since Hope was set up around a year and a half ago with the help of Swansea Council's Youth Service.

Group members have worked on projects including a community garden, and they attended the NSPCC's National Conference. The relationship with the Arizona group was formed when representatives came to visit community projects in Swansea, and an exchange was suggested.

The young people hope to learn more about how different cultures deal with similar community issues. The young people will also get a chance to visit the Grand Canyon, Mexico a native American Reserve during the action-packed trip. The Hope Group will put together a workshop which will illustrate to local people over there what its like living in Swansea.

Youth Support Centre Co-ordinator Ben Mashiter said "This is a really good opportunity for the group to see how people across the world face the same problems and community issues as they do here".

Also making the journey to Phoenix are the winners of the 2003 Lord Mayor's Community Regeneration Awards, the Cornerstone Church Community Project which works across Penlan, Portmead and Blaenymaes.

The Lord Mayor's Regeneration Awards make a significant contribution to helping raise the profile, quality and best practice among regeneration schemes in the city.

More than 1, 500 people a month make use of Cornerstone Services. They include the Gap which is aimed at 15 and 16 year-olds who are disaffected with school. The project aims to re-motivate and engage these young people with a programme of indoor and outdoor learning. Cornerstone also runs a Little Rascals parent-toddler group, free counselling for local people and parent craft, relationship skills and HIV/AIDS awareness courses.

The group, who will be joined by the two local ward councillors, will meet members of Chicanos por la Causa and visit a number of projects including; commerce projects, a scheme for teen mothers, an early childhood education centre, youth programmes, the "Mothers Against Gangs" programme, a domestic violence shelter, an elderly housing facility, an employment and training centre.

They will also attend a conference on successful partnerships.

Ends

11/02/04

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This page last updated on July 1 2004