Paphos: The city of youth, entertainment and athletics

Youth matters are linked with our future and they must be met with by a collective effort and above any political or other purpose. The Municipality of Paphos has realised with great distress that, our city as well as the country in general, have not been left unaffected by the phenomena that corrupt Youth in its foundations and endanger our children’s psychosomatic well-being. 

Drug use and antisocial behaviour constitute unfortunately, a reality that cannot be ignored. The danger exists and is practically at our doorstep.

It is within this spectrum that the City Council as a body and the Sports, New Generation and Welfare Committee, as well as the Paphos Youth City Council, reinforce and broaden their activities.

In brief, the actions and initiatives developed during the year 2007 and those programmed for the current year are as follows: 

Infrastructure Projects:

a) Youth Multicentre at the former “Eliades’ House:
This project, that has been carried out and will operate in collaboration with the Cyprus Youth Organisation, was completed in August 2008. It includes a large multiple use hall, laboratories, activity-halls and a roof-top coffee house.  It shall be used for the activities of the young people, organised or not, of our city and district, in order to cover the spectrum of their needs in terms of training, education and proper entertainment. The Multicentre will open its doors in early 2009.

b) The creation of a multidimensional Sports Centre in Anavargos
This project is a novel initiative of the Municipality of Paphos in order to cover the needs of the city’s sports associations as well as offer a modern and upgraded athletics site to the young people of the city.  The project shall include a large closed sports hall as well as other closed and open spaces where people can exercise. Construction work is estimated to begin within the year 2009.

c) The creation of a multidimensional Social welfare Centre at the old Veterinary Hospital
The space for this project has already been found and the terms for the drawing sheets have been prepared. This project includes a nursery, a child day-care centre and an adult centre. Construction work is estimated to begin within the year 2009.

d) The creation of a Tennis Centre
This project includes four tennis courts equipped with all the necessary provisions (seats, locker rooms, secondary spaces) in order to be able to host international tournaments. It also includes a coffee shop, a playground and other entertainment facilities. The plans have already been prepared and they have been submitted to the CSO for approval and funding.     

e) Sports and Entertainment facilities at district areas
The preservation and upgrade of already existing facilities, located at “Ahmet Rashiid” park, Mouttalos district area, Alexandroupoleos Street and the area of the Swimming Centre are programmed for the year 2009.

2. Measures for the young – Social Welfare
The City Council’s main goal is to take initiative and work closely with the respective authorities in order to educate and provide quality entertainment and creative activities for the young people. A basic concern is to protect the young from the dangers lurking at each step of their daily lives.    

a) Prevention-Enlightenment
The Municipality of Paphos, in collaboration with KENTHEA, has created the first Substance Abuse Prevention City Groups (SAPCG) with the active participation of citizens and the assistance of specialised experts in the field.
At the same time, it has broadened the collaboration with other authorities and volunteer groups, such as the Counselling and Psychological Support Centre, ο the Psychic Health Promotion Club, the Association for the Prevention and Handling of Domestic Violence, the Child Protection and Welfare Committee and others. Furthermore, it has donated the amount of 30.000 pounds for the financial reinforcement of volunteer groups and has organised or co-organised many specialised events, functions and seminars concerning drug prevention, juvenile delinquency and domestic violence.

b) Activities - Entertainment
Aside from the planned infrastructure projects, which shall prove defining for the essential upgrade of this section, the Municipality of Paphos has taken a series of actions for the creation of creative activities and quality entertainment of the youths:
With the initiative of the Municipality of Paphos and in collaboration with the Kato Paphos Communal Welfare Committee, the Kato Paphos Child Centre is funded by a European Program with 50.000 pounds. Moreover, the building housing the 4th Kindergarten was renovated and improved in order to house the Centre, with the help of the Pafos School Board. 
It is a highly important initiative since most of the homogeneous Greeks of Pontos reside in this area, the smooth social integration of which is the primary concern of the Local Authority.
Furthermore, the Municipality of Paphos has continued giving grants and financial aid towards charitable institutions of the city such as the Margarita Liasidou Institute, the Paphos Child Centre and the Kato Paphos Child Centre while financial aid was given to the Paphos Organisation for Fathering Many Children for the first time.
In terms of entertainment, The Municipality and the Youth City Council continued the successful annual institution of the “Youth Concert”, while supported financially and assisted in the organisation of the events held by various youth associations or groups. Moreover, they promoted and reinforced the participation of young people in the various cultural events such as the Anthestiria (Flower Fair), while the participation of young people in the Carnival of Paphos was of particular importance. 

c) Sports
The main axes in the Municipality’s policy in this matter, is to assist the athletic associations of the city financially and to organize sports tournaments in order to encourage young people to get involved with sports.
In this framework, the City Council has continued giving financial aid to the associations, through a certain support system and organised a series of events such as the annual awarding of the athletes of Paphos, the Round of Paphos, the Cycling Tour and others. The goal is to continue the efforts and reinforce them in any manner.

d) Education-Training 
A strong aspiration of the City Council is to operate two Schools at a University level in our city: The School of Fine Arts of the University of Cyprus and the School of Archaeology. Even though there have been constant requests to the government via written memos, the matter is still pending and this creates the need for the City Council to keep trying.
In this matter, the Local Authority has also reinforced the security measures outside the city’s schools with a series of small but necessary projects, as well as improved and extended road signalling.

3) Municipality of Paphos Youth City Council
This novel institution continues its operation with remarkable results. Indicativelly, its main actions were:
-To organise the annual Youth Concert
- To organise an Educational Fair, with the participation of dozens of Higher and Tertiary Educational institutions from Cyprus, Greece and Europe.
 - To organise a series of events against drugs and other addictive substances.
- To organise events and a campaign for road safety, with the cooperation of the Paphos Traffic Department.

 Paphos of the Elderly and Social Understanding 

Caring for the elderly and helping the sensitive social groups or individuals, is another important pillar of the policy of the Municipality of Paphos. 
The City Council’s course of action in this matter is divided into three major axes.
-In providing creative activities, medical care and proper entertainment to the elderly.
-In cooperating with volunteer organisations, citizens and the appropriate state services for the support of their contribution and reinforcement of their work.
-In developing initiatives for integrating the homogeneous groups in the local society.
More specifically, the courses of action already taken are:

1. Paphos and Mouttalos Adult Centres  
The success of the first Adult Centre, which has been in operation for seven years, in the framework of the Paphos Communal Volunteer Board, has led to the decision for the creation of a second centre in the refugee area of Mouttalos. Nowadays the city’s two Adult Centres have 300 registered members. Guest have the ability to meet everyday, enjoy a free breakfast – and lunch if they wish at the price of 2 euro – receive free medical care, get involved with various fun activities, organise field trips, get educated through lectures and organised debates for matters of their concern and be creative in a comfortable and enjoyable environment.
The Municipality’s annual grant amounts to 40.000 pounds and the goal is to create more centres in other areas of the city.
By the initiative of the Municipality of Paphos, the Mouttalos Centre has joined a European Program, through which the participation of 25 extra elderly and the employment of six special associates and trained staff is funded with the amount of 50.000 pounds.      

2. Home care for the elderly.
Another novelty in the field of Social policy was the implementation of a program of provision of home care to the elderly through the Adult Centre activities and provided services.
In the framework of this Program, elderly people can have a house keeper to cook and clean for them, at a low cost.
This program is in initial stages and so far, the results have been positive, which creates the necessary conditions for its continuance and expansion.


3. Aid towards people and families in need.      
Another dimension of the Municipality of Paphos Social policy is giving aid and financial support to people in need based on special criteria.
At the same time, the Municipality of Paphos is in constant contact and cooperation with volunteer groups and caring citizens for taking joint action and reinforce their work as much as possible.

4. Homogeneous people
The Municipality of Paphos, as the Local Authority, has a say and a role in the problems created by the uncontrolled and un-programmed settlement of a large number of homogeneous people of countries of the former Soviet Union and many foreign labourers from various countries in our city. In this framework, the Municipality of Paphos maintains a close cooperation with the Paphos Greeks of Pontos Union, in order to provide every support possible in various matters that trouble the homogeneous people, and especially their youths. It must be noted that the state and the responsible state services must take immediate and drastic measures to find and isolate those few who, inflict the city and our society, as well as the homogeneous people themselves, so much pain and discomfort.

RESPONSIBLE COMMITTEE: “SPORT-NEW GENERATION-SOCIAL WELFARE”

Chairman: Panayiotis Charalambous, Member of Municipal Council
Vice-Chairman: Akis Chrysomilos, Member of Municipal Council
Members : Nikos Symillides, Member of Municipal Council
                      Andreas Papapetrou, Member of Municipal Council

Officer: Andri Christodoulidou-Tsartsali
Tel.: 26822854
e.mail: social.welfare@pafos.org.cy
fax:     26934762