Competitors from all over North East Lincolnshire will come to Grimsby Town Hall on Thursday November 25, 2010 for the semi final of the Not Just Noise Singing Star competition. Winners will go through to the Grand Final on December 16.
The singing competition, which started on Friday October 29, is new for 2010 and forms part of the award winning youth engagement programme run by North East Lincolnshire Council's Young People's Support Services, Cultural Services, Humberside Police, Grimsby Town Sports and Education Trust and the voluntary and community sector.
Young people aged eight to 19-years have taken part in heats at sites across the region as part of Operation Kincorth that aims to provide diversionary activities during the busy Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas periods to keep young people active and potentially out of harm's way.
The semi final and final both take place on Thursday nights to coincide with further activities planned in the run up to Christmas that will be taking place alongside late night shopping. The events are hosted in conjunction with Freshney Place who has been a key partner from the outset of the competition.
A range of activities, including a roadshow, will be on offer at the Riverhead to give young people a place to hang out once their Christmas shopping is done. Parents will also have a chance to bring their children along to find out more about the free activities on offer throughout North East Lincolnshire every week.
The Not Just Noise roadshow will include DJ's, street dancers and street artists showing off their skills to demonstrate some of the activities young people can get involved in. All activities aim to promote core life skills such as team work, alcohol awareness and sexual health awareness.
Councillor Tony McCabe, portfolio holder children and family services said, "This programme of activities available to young people is fantastic. I am delighted that so many young people have taken part in the competition already and I expect the semi final and final to be very exciting. I would like to see more people getting involved in sport and leisure and encourage as many people as possible to visit the Riverhead when they are doing their late night shopping to see how they can get involved."
Pc Paul Caswel, youth lead for Police in North East Lincolnshire said, "Young People Services, Cultural Services and the Grimsby Town Sports and Education Trust provide a raft of free positive activities across the area every week ranging from football to street dance and all are very well attended.
"These are very well established now so this year we thought it was time to move it on a stage by running the Not Just Noise Singing Star competition in order to broaden the appeal of what is on offer to young people in our area and also throw down the gauntlet to find North East Lincolnshire's very own singing star.
"The heats which ran over the Halloween and Bonfire Night Operation Kincorth period were very well attended and competition is going to be tough as we search for our star so we hope that everyone attending on the night will show their support for our talented bunch of hopefuls.
"The semi final also marks the launch of our activity around late night shopping during which time we will again be working closely with Freshney Place in order to give young people somewhere to go once they have finished shopping so why not visit our Not Just Noise Roadshow area at the Riverhead to find out more."