Following a recent visit to the Youth Pod in Holyhead, North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has championed support for threatened 'Project Lydia'—a young people’s sex and relationship education project on Ynys Môn - in the Assembly Chamber this week.
During questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, Mr Isherwood said:
“I promised young people there who are trained as peer educators for 'Project Lydia' - a young people's Sex and Relationships Education project - that I would raise their concerns here.
"They gave me a copy of the Project Co-ordinator’s end-of-year report, to April 2017, showing that they had given face-to-face support to 584 young people, delivering evidenced better physical and social health, but given the conclusion of the report, 'it is obvious young people need comprehensive sex and relationship education and ongoing support as much, if not more, than ever. However, it is disappointing that neither Ynys Môn council nor Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board appear to have made any effort to raise funds to maintain this valued project, or indeed given staff the opportunity to do so', I wonder what action you might be able to take to support these excellent young people”.
The Cabinet Secretary stated that he’d be very happy to look at the report to see whether there are any steps that the Welsh Government might take to support that group. Mr Isherwood is now copying him on this.