A SPECIAL team has been set up to make Bolton youth clubs more minority friendly. Organisers fear some young people are not going to the clubs or using other youth services because they worry about fitting in. Now a team has been set up to make sure youth clubs have policies which encourage youngsters to join in regardless of their race, culture, gender, sexuality or disability.

Eventually youth club workers will get extra training and new initiatives will be set up to challenge traditional stereotypes.

This will also include working with young people themselves on in-depth projects to challenge beliefs such as macho attitudes which could lead them into trouble in future.

Seven part-time youth workers have been transferred to make up the "Valuing Diversity Team" which will have its own manager and be based at the Gap in Halliwell.

The aim of the team is to find out ways of making sure all youth services are based on the acceptance of everyone to be different and facilities are tailored to suit.

Encourage

As well as this, moves are afoot to give users a bigger say and councillors are considering allowing up to six young members on the each of the committees which run individual youth clubs.

Cllr Campbell Benjamin said he hoped the changes would encourage more youngsters to use the service.

He said: "Sometimes you get the impression that youth clubs are thing of the past and they are not relevant today. I do not see it that way.

"I still feel there is a place for youth clubs but with a changed attitude. They should be run along the lines the youngsters want and parents should also be encouraged to participate."

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