Omicron Chapter at Dover State Univeristy
About Us
Young People Taking Action known locally as The CYDS Project has been running for nearly 20 years. Over this time the organisation has developed and grown to meet the needs of the young people it serves. The CYDS project is a young persons open access drop in centre for 8 to 29 year olds.We provide a vital free resource in a rurally isolated area. The service offers information advice and guidance on issues, which could have a detrimental effect on a young person’s ability to reach their full potential.
CYDS was set up in 1996 to support young people within the Leiston, Saxmundham and Aldeburgh area and began as a result of the complex needs of the young people.
The community education youth centre was based on the high school site and was therefore an inappropriate setting to meet with the vulnerable young people who particularly needed support but were excluded from school (and therefore banned from the site) and suffering chronic socioeconomic marginalisation.
The founders set up a town centre location within the small market town of Leiston and with the help of a dedicated committee, an army of volunteers, members and a loyal staff team turned an old hairdressers into a young person friendly drop in centre. The centre offered up to date information and support on the issues which effected their lives.
Since then CYDS has grown and developed to make sure it is as vital today as it was over ten years ago whilst maintaining its core beliefs:
‘To aid young people to achieve their potential through personal development’
‘To establish an ongoing training programme for young people to become Youth Workers within the project’
‘To provide access to agencies in the field of promotion of information, advice and counselling services relating to drugs, alcohol, sexual health, housing, welfare and benefits’
‘To promote informal computer training, basic adult education and assist with job seeking.’
​All the activities that CYDS run fit within the framework to make sure we give the young people the opportunity to thrive educationally, emotionally and socially.
Specially trained youth workers assist young people in creating a personalized tool box of skills to equip them to deal effectively with the transition into adulthood as well as helping them to find a individual support network so that young people feel safe to take part in new experiences and move outside their comfort zone so they can grow and develop.
