Chapeltown Young Peoples Club

Overall usage of YES-Cyber remains high, although the monthly average figure is somewhat lower than in 2002, although higher than in 2001. The average number of ‘users’ per calendar month in 2003 was 898, which compares with an average of 968 per month in 2002, 789 in 2001 and 581 in 2000 [see Appendix 5 for data]. This apparent fall in numbers, however, is a direct result of re-focussing the project and targeting particular groups, rather than just being an Internet café open all hours and to all-comers. When YES-Cyber opened in 1999 there was minimal public Internet access in the area and this was felt to be a key attraction of the Project at that time. There are now many Internet cafés in the vicinity which cater for this general need, so YES-Cyber is now focussing on its key client groups, ie primarily young people aged 13 – 19 who are ‘at risk’, plus meeting its targets for learndirect and UK online. For this reason, the project now operates ‘closed’ sessions 10:00 – 12:00 daily. These are currently as follows:

• Monday, Tuesday: learndirect / IT taster classes.
• Wednesday: REACH Exclusion Project [target group: young people who have been permanently excluded from school].
• Thursday: YOS (Youth Offending Service) / LMU.
• Friday: Team Meeting / ACE Project (TDC)

YES-Cyber is also used as a venue for Connexions Key Workers to meet clients, especially TDC students who live in the area. There is potential here for TDC to utilise YES-Cyber further for work with ‘non-traditional’ groups of learners and potential learners.