New after-school scheme launched at Caernarfon youth club, Wales 2026

Key Points

• Your Community Your Choice scheme has provided Porthi Dre youth club in Caernarfon with funding for its free after-school programme.
• The programme, known as ‘Sgran ar ôl Ysgol’ will take place every Monday apart from current Wednesday sessions.
• It is free and provides meals as well as indoor and outdoor activities such as craft and skateboards decoration.
• The programme pays special attention to young people living in Peblig and Cadnant wards, some of the most deprived regions of North Wales.
• The programme is funded from seized criminals’ money and supported by the Police and Crime Commissioner, North Wales Police, and North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT).
• According to a spokesman for the club, the numbers of children taking part have increased constantly since the start of the programme, proving local interest.
• During the last 13 years, Your Community Your Choice scheme has awarded more than £700,000 to 234 projects in North Wales.

Wales (Wales Times) September 17, 2026 – Porthi Dre youth club in Caernarfon has launched a new free after-school programme after securing funding from the Your Community Your Choice initiative, which uses money seized from criminals to support community projects across North Wales. The scheme, named ‘Sgran ar ôl Ysgol’, will operate every Monday alongside the club’s existing Wednesday sessions and will provide a hot meal and a range of indoor and outdoor activities at no cost to participants.

What is the new after-school scheme in Caernarfon?

The new after-school scheme in Caernarfon is a free, weekly programme run by Porthi Dre youth club that offers young people a hot meal and supervised activities in a safe, welcoming environment. As reported by the North Wales Chronicle, the club will use funds from the Your Community Your Choice initiative to deliver the ‘Sgran ar ôl Ysgol’ sessions each Monday, complementing its established Wednesday offering. Entry is free and the provision is open to all young people in Caernarfon, with particular emphasis on those living in the Peblig and Cadnant wards, which are among the most deprived in North Wales.

Recent sessions have included arts and crafts and skateboard decorating, with some participants riding boards they had built the previous week, illustrating the club’s focus on creative, hands-on activities. The programme is designed to give young people a constructive “third space” outside home and school where they can meet friends, access food and engage in positive activities.

Who is funding the Caernarfon youth club after-school programme?

The Caernarfon youth club after-school programme is funded through the Your Community Your Choice initiative, which allocates money seized from criminals to community projects across North Wales. The programme is backed by the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, North uk/police/">Wales Police, and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT). Andy Dunbobbin, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, said:

“Congratulations to all the staff, volunteers and young people at Porthi Dre on their success in securing funding through the Your Community Your Choice initiative.”

Mr Dunbobbin added:

“After visiting the youth club it is clear how important it is that the young people of North Wales are given additional third spaces to receive a hot meal and meet with friends in a welcoming environment, especially with growing concerns surrounding anti-social behaviour in local communities.” He continued:

“I am pleased that the funding from Your Community Your Choice has gone towards a project that adopts a problem-solving approach that will hopefully form stronger communities and expand on the opportunities that are offered to the young people of Caernarfon.”

Over the past 13 years, Your Community Your Choice has awarded more than £700,000 to 234 projects helping reduce crime and support priorities set out in the PCC’s Police and Crime Plan.

What activities and meals are included in Sgran ar ôl Ysgol?

Sgran ar ôl Ysgol includes a hot meal and a choice of indoor and outdoor activities delivered in a supervised youth club setting. Recent sessions have featured arts and crafts and skateboard decorating, with some young people riding boards they had built the week before, indicating a mix of creative and physical activities. The provision is free to attend and is structured to run weekly on Mondays, in addition to the club’s existing Wednesday sessions, thereby increasing the frequency of available support.

The inclusion of a hot meal addresses basic welfare needs while the activity component aims to build skills, confidence and social connections among participants. By offering both food and structured recreation, the scheme seeks to create a stable routine for young people during the critical after-school period.

Which areas and age groups does the scheme target?

The scheme is open to all young people in Caernarfon but places particular focus on the Peblig and Cadnant wards, which are among the most deprived in North Wales. A spokesperson for Porthi Dre said the project initially planned for a 10-week run and has offered a hot meal to children aged 11–16. The spokesperson noted that attendance has increased over time, stating: “We planned for the project to go on for 10 weeks and have offered a hot meal to kids aged 11-16 and, as the weeks went on, I have seen more and more kids turning up, showing that something like this is needed.”

The targeting of specific wards reflects an intention to direct resources to areas where socioeconomic pressures may be highest and where access to affordable after-school provision can be limited. By concentrating on these communities, the club aims to maximise the local impact of the funding while remaining open to all young people in the town.

How does the club say the funding has affected operations?

A spokesperson for Porthi Dre said the support received from Your Community Your Choice has made a “huge difference” in helping the club run its youth provision. The spokesperson explained that the club began as a way to give young people a place to come together and to explore how to reduce anti-social behaviour in the area while working alongside local officers from North Wales Police. The growth in attendance has reinforced the perceived need for the service, with the spokesperson observing increasing numbers of young people attending as the weeks progressed.

The funding has enabled the club to formalise and extend its weekly schedule, adding Monday sessions to its existing Wednesday provision and thereby increasing capacity and consistency for participants. The combination of meal provision and activities has been highlighted as central to the club’s appeal and to its role as a safe, supportive environment.

Background to the development

The Your Community Your Choice initiative is administered with support from the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, North Wales Police and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT), and draws on assets recovered from criminal activity to fund local projects. According to the North Wales Chronicle, the fund has awarded more than £700,000 to 234 projects over the past 13 years, with the aim of reducing crime and advancing priorities in the PCC’s Police and Crime Plan. The Caernarfon youth club’s award forms part of this wider portfolio of community grants, which has previously supported initiatives ranging from sports development to local safety projects.

Porthi Dre youth club’s original project was conceived as a 10-week intervention to provide a safe gathering place and a hot meal for young people aged 11–16, developed in cooperation with local police officers to address concerns about anti-social behaviour. The decision to extend and regularise the provision through the Your Community Your Choice funding reflects both the demonstrated demand and the alignment of the club’s objectives with the fund’s crime-prevention and community-strengthening goals. Information about PACT and related initiatives is available via the organisation’s website, which outlines its role in supporting police–community partnerships across the region.

Prediction: how this development could affect young people and families in Caernarfon

If the Sgran ar ôl Ysgol programme continues at its current level of uptake, young people in Caernarfon—particularly in the Peblig and Cadnant wards—are likely to benefit from more consistent access to free after-school support, including nutritious food and supervised activities. Regular attendance at such a scheme can provide structure during the after-school hours, potentially reducing idle time that might otherwise contribute to anti-social behaviour, while also offering opportunities to develop practical skills through activities such as arts and crafts and skateboard building. For families, the availability of a free, local after-school option may ease pressure on household budgets by providing an evening meal and reducing the need for alternative childcare arrangements during the working week.

Over time, sustained operation of the programme could strengthen relationships between young people, youth workers and local police, supporting a problem-solving approach to community safety as outlined by the Police and Crime Commissioner. Should attendance continue to grow, the club may need to consider capacity management, volunteer recruitment and potential diversification of activities to maintain quality and safety. The long-term effect will depend on the continuity of funding, the club’s ability to retain staff and volunteers, and the extent to which the scheme can be integrated with other local services for education, welfare and youth support.