„Autumn is the time to connect“ – Young people in community activities

The youth clubs to be together

„Autumn is the time to connect. It's the time when we meet up with our colleagues after a long summer holiday and pick up where we left off. It's so important to be in touch with one another and maintain good relationships. Yes, to plug back in,“ says Stella B. Kristinsdóttir.
Manager of Preventive and Leisure Activities for the City of Hafnarfjörður, in a contributed article in Hafnarfjörður Youth, in the Fjarðarfréttir newspaper which was published earlier this month.

„Participation in organised leisure and sports activities is a protective factor in the lives of children and young people. This applies to sports activities, social activities in youth organisations, music lessons or participation in the work of youth centres. I would like to remind you of the option to spend your free time in organised youth centre activities,“ she says, "but tomorrow, Tuesday 24 September at 5 p.m., a Youth Forum will be held on the services of two new youth centres here in Hafnarfjörður.

Social activities and young people

„We are so lucky to have youth clubs in our local community! Their role is to offer children and young people aged 10-16 an after-school activity programme that has preventative, educational and developmental value, and is tailored to their age and maturity. In their work, the staff place a strong emphasis on creating a unique culture and a safe environment with children and young people. Participation in the organised activities of youth clubs and centres with professional staff has an important preventative value and increases the likelihood that young people will choose a healthy lifestyle and avoid risky behaviour,“ she says in the article.

„It offers recreational facilities and a space for peers to socialise, alongside events, both large and small. The emphasis is on engaging children and young people in the activities, and the programme is varied and developed with the young people themselves. Youth clubs also carry out outreach work, both in their local area and collectively as part of Götuvitinn, which is a mobile youth club,“ she says, pointing out that Götuvitinn carries out outreach work after official curfew in cooperation with parents' associations, but has also entered into partnerships with other municipalities in the greater capital area.

We encourage young people to go to the youth centres.

„Everyone is welcome at the youth club, and I encourage parents to explore the programme with their child, go along with them, or encourage them to use it to meet up and hang out. Youth clubs are open in all schools on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the late afternoon and evening. The HHH Queer Youth Club is also open on Thursdays, and Music and Motor is open every weekday from 5 pm to 10 pm.“

Further information about Community centres in Hafnarfjörður can be found on the website of the City of Hafnarfjörður.. We encourage all guardians and parents to point their children towards the youth parliament at Flensburg School at 5 p.m. tomorrow, Tuesday, 24th September.