Town's new youth skills manager grew up here
Monday, 9th September 2013.
ONE Haverhill has appointed its new youth skills manager to take forward the youth services aspect of the Haverhill Community Budget Plan.
In June, ONE Haverhill unveiled plans as part of the Haverhill Community Budget for a unique youth project for the town which has been made possible by the collaboration between local authorities, businesses, education, and other partners.
What started as a reasonably modest aim of creating an additional ten apprenticeship posts in the town over the next year has developed into a plan to open a One-Stop Shop for the young people of Haverhill, incorporating career development, youth leisure activities and access to youth services.
Reporting to the ONE Haverhill Board and employed by Haverhill Town Council, new youth skills manager Karen Chapple will be responsible for pioneering a business and education partnership to create more apprenticeships, traineeships, work experience placements, mentoring and other workplace training in the town.
She will also develop a programme of events to give inspiration, experience, guidance and advice.
Karen, who lives in Haverhill, comes with a wealth of experience of working with young people as a tutor at Cambridge Regional College where she worked with difficult-to-reach young people.
She has a teaching qualification, a supporting families qualification and a background of regional management in leisure services.
Originally from Haverhill, Karen came to the town aged four and attended local schools Cangle Primary, Parkway Middle and Castle Manor, but she moved to London at 17 to continue her career. She returned to Haverhill 12 years ago with her family.
Married to Haverhill postman Wayne, Karen has three children, Rosie, 20, Morgan, 16, and Jude, 9. The couple also foster teenagers.
Karen, 48, is spending her first few weeks in post meeting with organisations in the town who support young people. She will present a plan for the youth service, specifically concentrating on youngsters aged 11 and over, to the board in the autumn.
Karen said: “Haverhill is a lovely place to live and bring up children and it really is an amazing opportunity for me, someone who grew up in the town, to support the young people here.
"I have found through working with youngsters that the right support at the right time can make a huge difference in their lives. It literally can be life-changing.
“The young people of Haverhill feel like they have a poor deal here. Personally, having seen what is in other areas, I don’t believe they do but we need to show them that the support is here for them.
I feel energised working with young people. I have children myself, I foster teenagers, and I have worked with young people for most of my working life. This is a group of people I truly feel passionate about working with in a town that is my home.”
The youth service project has been made possible by the collaborative nature of ONE Haverhill. Job Centre Plus has committed £50,000 to support the new post of youth skills manager and Suffolk County Council has provided a £5,000 project budget.
Haverhill Town Council has committed to running a venue which will house activities for young people (what we used to call a youth club) £230,000 for the first year and £80,000 per year after that.
The £50,000 in community grants which ONE Haverhill administers for St Edmundsbury Borough Council is being aligned to the Haverhill Community Budget Plan priorities going forward.
Ultimately, ONE Haverhill plans for these services to sit together in a ‘One Stop Shop’ which will be a venue that provides youth activities, careers and employment advice, training and other activities all in a single place.
It will be open to all young people in Haverhill and will also provide targeted help for vulnerable or disengaged young people.
Haverhill Town Council has begun negotiations with Suffolk County Council to take over the magistrates court site on Camps Road for this purpose.
Sarah Howard, chairman of ONE Haverhill, said: “Karen is going to be a huge asset to Haverhill. She comes with a real and energised passion for the job.
"She lives in the town, went to school here, and knows how to get things done. I am very much looking forward to working with Karen and to seeing how things will change for young people in this town.”
In June, ONE Haverhill unveiled plans as part of the Haverhill Community Budget for a unique youth project for the town which has been made possible by the collaboration between local authorities, businesses, education, and other partners.
What started as a reasonably modest aim of creating an additional ten apprenticeship posts in the town over the next year has developed into a plan to open a One-Stop Shop for the young people of Haverhill, incorporating career development, youth leisure activities and access to youth services.
Reporting to the ONE Haverhill Board and employed by Haverhill Town Council, new youth skills manager Karen Chapple will be responsible for pioneering a business and education partnership to create more apprenticeships, traineeships, work experience placements, mentoring and other workplace training in the town.
She will also develop a programme of events to give inspiration, experience, guidance and advice.
Karen, who lives in Haverhill, comes with a wealth of experience of working with young people as a tutor at Cambridge Regional College where she worked with difficult-to-reach young people.
She has a teaching qualification, a supporting families qualification and a background of regional management in leisure services.
Originally from Haverhill, Karen came to the town aged four and attended local schools Cangle Primary, Parkway Middle and Castle Manor, but she moved to London at 17 to continue her career. She returned to Haverhill 12 years ago with her family.
Married to Haverhill postman Wayne, Karen has three children, Rosie, 20, Morgan, 16, and Jude, 9. The couple also foster teenagers.
Karen, 48, is spending her first few weeks in post meeting with organisations in the town who support young people. She will present a plan for the youth service, specifically concentrating on youngsters aged 11 and over, to the board in the autumn.
Karen said: “Haverhill is a lovely place to live and bring up children and it really is an amazing opportunity for me, someone who grew up in the town, to support the young people here.
"I have found through working with youngsters that the right support at the right time can make a huge difference in their lives. It literally can be life-changing.
“The young people of Haverhill feel like they have a poor deal here. Personally, having seen what is in other areas, I don’t believe they do but we need to show them that the support is here for them.
I feel energised working with young people. I have children myself, I foster teenagers, and I have worked with young people for most of my working life. This is a group of people I truly feel passionate about working with in a town that is my home.”
The youth service project has been made possible by the collaborative nature of ONE Haverhill. Job Centre Plus has committed £50,000 to support the new post of youth skills manager and Suffolk County Council has provided a £5,000 project budget.
Haverhill Town Council has committed to running a venue which will house activities for young people (what we used to call a youth club) £230,000 for the first year and £80,000 per year after that.
The £50,000 in community grants which ONE Haverhill administers for St Edmundsbury Borough Council is being aligned to the Haverhill Community Budget Plan priorities going forward.
Ultimately, ONE Haverhill plans for these services to sit together in a ‘One Stop Shop’ which will be a venue that provides youth activities, careers and employment advice, training and other activities all in a single place.
It will be open to all young people in Haverhill and will also provide targeted help for vulnerable or disengaged young people.
Haverhill Town Council has begun negotiations with Suffolk County Council to take over the magistrates court site on Camps Road for this purpose.
Sarah Howard, chairman of ONE Haverhill, said: “Karen is going to be a huge asset to Haverhill. She comes with a real and energised passion for the job.
"She lives in the town, went to school here, and knows how to get things done. I am very much looking forward to working with Karen and to seeing how things will change for young people in this town.”
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