A North Wales initiative that helps support local young people is celebrating after winning a top national award on 18 March. Youth Shedz Cymru won first place in the High Sheriff’s Association of England and Wales national Crimebeat awards for their ‘outstanding contribution to helping reduce crime and creating a safer community’. National Crimebeat is the association’s youth crime prevention charity. The award took place at a glittering ceremony in London attended by the Youth Shedz management team, colleagues from the North Wales Police and Community Trust and young people from the Colwyn Bay, Mochdre and Llandudno Junction Youth Sheds (known as ‘Shedderz’).
Youth Shedz was established by founder Scott Jenkinson in 2018 at its original location in Denbigh and has now grown to 12 sheds and projects in towns across North Wales, such as Llandudno Junction, Denbigh, Rhyl, Kinmel Bay, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Llysfaen, Buckley and Holyhead (along with Betsi, a mobile shed that can visit communities across the region).
A Youth Shed is similar to a community or youth centre and having a shed in a town significantly reduces the amount of anti-social behaviour. This is because it provides somewhere for young people to get together and get involved in positive and worthwhile activities. The philosophy is that no young person is excluded and Youth Shedz aims to reach people who may be less likely to engage with mainstream traditional youth services.
The organisation is backed by Police and Crime Commissioner(PCC) for North Wales Andy Dunbobbin, who is supportive of the group’s aims and ethos. Last year, the organisation received funding from the PCC’s Your Community, Your Choice fund to establish a new Shed in Mochdre, near Colwyn Bay. The funding for the Your Community, Your Choice grant came partly from money seized by the courts through the Proceeds of Crime Act, with the rest coming from the PCC. Youth Shedz has also benefited in the past from the PCC’s Innovate to Grow fund, which is designed to help foster new and innovative ways of fighting crime.
Sarah Foskett – High Sheriff of Gwynedd 2024/25:
“ I was so proud of Scott and the Youthshedz group for winning the National Crimebeat Awards, What an achievement providing support and confidence for all those who use YouthShedz’s throughout North Wales. The support Crimebeat have given this project has proved that investing in young people can be successful and improve their futures, preventing crime in our communities.”
Scott Jenkinson, Founder, Youth Shedz said: “We are thrilled to have been recognised by this award and are super proud of all of the young Shedderz that we have the privilege of working with. We give thanks to all of our funders and supporters like the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Police and Community Trust and the High Sheriffs; we really cannot do it without you!”