The document outlines the local youth policy of Tienen, Belgium. It discusses the current state of youth organizations in the area, which include 24 private organizations with approximately 1,600 total members who are run by volunteers. It then introduces the local youth service department, which has 6 staff members. The mission of the local youth policy is to support and encourage youth participation through initiatives like financial support, events, and encouraging networking between organizations. The policy contains 6 focus areas, including youth work support, additional local youth initiatives, encouraging continued involvement, and creating networks to support children and adolescents in the municipality.

1. Seminar
Developing cross sectoral youth policy on local level
Lithuania, 21 to 25 march 2011
Local youth policy Tienen
Local Youth work
Tienen:
Number of children and adolescents <25 years: 8.129
Tienen has 24 private youth organizations:
• 10 Youth movements (for example: scouting, Chiro)
• 8 Youth organisations (for example: youth choir, youth theater )
• 1 Youth club
• 1 Playground organisation (for disabled children)
• 4 political youth associations
All these youth organizations together have ± 1600 members
All these youth organizations are run by volunteers.

2. Meet the local youth service
Local youth service Tienen has an enthousiastic staff of 6 people
Meet the local youth service
current youth centre future leisure centre

3. Local youth policy
MISSION
• starting interaction and participation with children and adolescents
• tailored to needs and requirements
• widest possible support of existing private youth initiatives
• Taking initiative in gaps, stimulate, daring to innovate but also daring to drop
• integrated with other policies
• with particular attention to disadvantaged children and young people
Local youth policy
1. Youth work support
• Financial support
• Logistic support (copy service, transport)
• Rental service
• Infrastructural support (meeting rooms,…)
• Information, communication
• Juridical support (help with administration, questions)
• Technical support (safety playgrounds)
• Courses

4. Local youth policy
2. Organising additional local youth initiatives, complementary to the
private youth initiatives
• Playground activities during school holidays
• Childcare (3+)
• Programming workshops during the year
• Lots of (big) events (outdoor play event, cultural event, concerts,…)
• rehearsal rooms / promoting local talent
• Youth leader course
• Specific neighbourhood activities (disadvantaged children / youngsters)
• Playing with language
Local youth policy
3. Encouraging continued involvement and participation
• Supporting the youth council
• Permanent and informal participation (in policy, renewal playground but
also small talk)
• Participation in other policy areas: culture, environment, urban planning
• Feedback from decisions of the council to children and adolescents
• Informing the local government about the needs and the wants
• Youth information policy (website, mailings, introducing to local social
organisations, facebook,…)

5. Local youth policy
4. Creating, promoting and controlling networks
• Knowledge of the full range of leisure activities related to children and
youth in the municipality.
• Networks between different administrative services: sports services,
cultural services, libraries, urban planning, ... (consultations, joint act. ...)
• Networking with local organisations concerning youth
= HORIZONTAL NETWORKING
Contact with provincial level, Flemish level, VVJ, ..
= VERTICAL NETWORKING
Local youth policy
5. Support and advise the council in developing and implementing a local
youth policy
• Preparing youth budget
• Preparing youth policy plan
• writing operational reports
• Implementing policy
6. Other
• Playground areas
• upbringing support
• …