MYA KNOW

New Know is an inclusive, youth-led support for 11-19-year-olds. Non-judgemental and empowering, it spans a range of bespoke offerings from street-based mentoring to needs-led health education. 

A pioneering partnership

The challenges young people face can be deeply complicated. Offering a way past them is sometimes a team effort. Commissioned by Knowsley Council, New Know is a borough-wide youth work partnership aimed at 11-19-year-olds, and up to 25-year-olds with SEND. 

There are four strategic offerings based around Detached Youth work, Intensive Trauma informed mentoring, Participation and Engagement and Health Education.

Our Knowsley team also offer a foodbank service – no referral is necessary and further details can be found here.

Detached Youth work

Our detached street-based offering takes youth work to young people in places where support is needed most. Designed to help foster meaningful connections with trusted adults, positive engagement is built up through activities with an informal education component. 

Intensive Trauma Informed Mentoring Programme 

MYA’s Intensive mentoring team consists of four full-time mentors, each with a specific area of expertise ranging from Youth Offending to Equalities and SEND, Health and Wellbeing and Education

Each mentor utilises 1-1 and small group work sessions to deliver bespoke, trauma informed interventions, developed collaboratively with the young person and designed with their own individual barriers and goals at the centre. 

Participation and Engagement

Part of our remit as an organisation is to grow engagement and provide a voice to marginalised groups so we can support young people’s agency on local and national level. Our dedicated full time Participation Worker leads on a number of programmes designed to inspire young people and get them involved in local activities, so their voices can be heard.

Think Health

MYA’s Health Team deliver empowering needs-led thematic health education in a range of settings, from schools to streets and parks. 

Each open, empowering programme can be delivered as stand-alone information sessions, or as part of ongoing structured interventions over a number of weeks, with provision for 1-1 and group work. Subjects range from sexual health and relationships to substance misuse, and a dedicated LGBTQ+ offer is available. 

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Our Place

As part of this work MYA also manages a cutting-edge youth facility at Our Place on Longview Drive in Huyton. Our Place brings together partners from across the sector to provide a wraparound service under one roof, with seamless transitions between services. Through Our Place young people have access to a wide range of inclusive experiences and modern facilities, from 1-1 meeting rooms for mentoring to a skate park, professional kitchen and allotment. Access is also made available to a young person’s food bank.

There is also onsite access to counselling  provided via listening ear.

After school and holidays

MYA also offers youth club nights and holiday provision at Our Place with a broad range of activities. Open to anyone, young people can join a vibrant, inclusive atmosphere and take part in everything from sport and games like climbing and table tennis to computer gaming, BMXing, dance, cooking and graffiti. In school holiday times, thanks to the HAF programme, we are able to offer hot meals to keep the energy and nutrition levels up!

Girlie Goos

Girlie Goos is a detached youth project working with our team in Prescot. Over the last year, they have co-created their own youth club space, in the heart of Prescot, supported by funds from Safer Streets 5. The girls have taken part in weekly sessions, focusing on health, relationships, and career and goal setting. They have worked with partners from Prescot, including Shakespeare in the North, Jessie & Co, and the Hair Shack. Kitchen Sink Live was commissioned to create this video to showcase the work. 
Click here to access documentary

Junior Park Run

JUNIOR PARK RUN – is a 2km timed run and is for children / young people 4 -14 years old. This will take place each Sunday at 9am at Halewood Triangle, Okell drive.
To get involved – just turn up. You can see more about park run here  parkrun | junior parkrun
And anyone who is interested in volunteering can contact the team here
halewoodjuniors@parkrun.com

Detached Project explore Children’s rights

Our Detached Team has been working with a group of 13 young people from Kirkby to explore their knowledge of children’s rights, through drama. The group spent 15 weeks together on a Friday evening, talking about equality, their rights and responsibilities and together with Kitchen Sink Live created this short video. The aim of the project was to empower young people with the knowledge of UNCRC. Which of course is also what UNCRC wants, article This video was also played at MYA’s 10th Year of Now Festival, earlier this month.
Click to view video on YouTube

Many thanks to our funders