SPOTLIGHT ON: LIBBY GIRLS – A MOBILE UNIT PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR YOUNG WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCARBOROUGH
The St Giles Yorkshire team have recently launched Libby GIRLS – a mobile support provision offering advice, support, guidance and intervention to young women and girls aged 10-25 in the Scarborough area.
Libby GIRLS stands for ‘Growing, Inspiring, Resilient, Leaders,’ and its aim is to be present where young women and girls get-together in the area to be best placed to offer support.
The van has now been ‘on the road’ for just over a month, and the team has already had over 100 girls attend and have been able to offer critical support in a crisis situation.
Of the service, a young person said:
“I have never witnessed or known my friend to have said so much about herself to anyone apart from you on that night,” and “we need this service, there is nothing for us.”
Utilising close relationships already developed through the years of expert working across the region, the team aim to work closely with other agencies to provide the appropriate support and are also welcoming all relevant organisations to get in touch to become involved in the project.
Another critical aim of the provision is that it is led by the needs of the people who engage with it, actively encouraging views and opinions so that the team can work towards the right support being available in the area, providing a lasting impact for the young women and girls of Scarborough. It was identified by agencies in Scarborough that there was an area of support that was lacking, Libby GIRLS have been able to come in and fill this gap and provide a safe space for the young women and girls in the Scarborough area.
”We spent time researching and attending youth events to learn where our service would be needed most, and this has proved beneficial as we have been able to provide that safe space for well over 100 girls to date.”
The service is being recognized in the area not only by the target audience of young women and girls but also by partner agencies who also provide support to the young people of Scarborough, it is recognised that Libby is unique, and as such agencies now signpost to us and request to join staff on the provision so they are able to support these sometimes hard to reach young people.
Libby GIRLS have also been invited to take part in events in the area, some of these being promotional but also as part of a community reassurance presence.
”It is exciting to be part of such a well-received project and look forward to developing this further and continuing to provide this much needed service to the young women and girls of the Scarborough area.”
– Kellie Karamanos – Team Leader, St Giles Yorkshire
Libby GIRLS is made possible by the Serious Violence Duty Fund via the York and North Yorkshire PFCC.