Packed with Opportunities for Young People in Hafnarfjörður

Youth Activities have Received a Boost

Services for young people in Hafnarfjörður have been reshaped. Not only has the town received the Child Friendly Community label, which means nothing about children without children, but new youth houses have been established; houses that serve them.

A new youth house called The Nest is located in the Innovation Centre. Work is also underway to strengthen the old Music and Motor. The activities have been split up and will now be in two locations.

• Music by the Creek is in the Innovation Centre. There are excellent facilities for groups or individuals aged 13–25 who want to practise and form bands.
• The Motor House will be with the Quarter Mile Club at Kvartmílubraut 1 in Vellir. The activity will take root there. Young motor enthusiasts will learn directly from our most skilled motor experts. The aim is to open soon.

Kletturinn is social activity for young people with disabilities aged 16+. Kletturinn is located at Suðurgata 14. There are both day and evening programmes. It is open for youth after the school day from 13:00–16:30. Evening programmes are held twice a week, known to many as Evening Activities in Húsið, which can also be found under that name on Facebook. These take place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 18:00–22:00. The activity is divided in two: one group for those aged 16–20, and another for those 20 and older. Each has its own space, staff, and programme.

Bergið supports young people aged 12–25. They can receive free counselling on Wednesdays at Austurgata 8. Sessions of 50 minutes are available for those who book through bergid.is. Anything can be discussed. The most common topics are depression, anxiety, stress, and heartbreak. The service is popular and comparable to what psychologists provide. Only one rule applies: that the young person wants to come.

Let’s look more closely: What is on offer for young people in Hafnarfjörður?

• The new youth house The Nest in the Innovation Center
• Music by the Creek in the Innovation Centre
• The Motor House at the Quarter Mile Club
• The Innovation Centre – art and photography facilities, digital workshop, and music studio for recording music or podcasts, for young people and others
• Kletturinn – activities for young people with disabilities aged 16+
• Bergið – free counselling on Wednesdays
• Summer is also the time for young people: Creative summer jobs for those aged 18–25 and the art group of the Hafnarfjörður Work School make life more fun

In addition, there are not only 32 sports clubs active in town, but also a strong skateboarding community, and Gafló, the new drama school of the Gaflaraleikhúsið theatre, has opened in the Innovation Centre. And let’s not forget that those aged 16–18 receive a leisure grant.

The Innovation Centre – ideal for young people

To add even more variety, young people will find many other things in the Innovation Centre. The centre is buzzing with activity and ready to be filled with life. There is much that suits young people, such as:

• The Sound Studio. A place to record music and make podcasts, continuing the work started at the library.
• Bollinn. An open space to drop in and hang out. A kind of café area where you can have a drink and meet others.
• The Photography Studio. Plans are in place to add video recording facilities. The studio already has a backdrop for portrait photography. Time can be booked by emailing nyskopunarsetur@hafnarfjordur.is.
• The Experiment Workshop. Dedicated to creative arts. Open house on Wednesdays from 15:00–19:00 with guidance available.
• The Technology Workshop is a makerspace in the spirit of FabLab, with:
  •  Vinyl cutter, for example to make stickers for walls, glass, or cars, or to cut textile vinyl for heat pressing on fabric
  •  3D printer
  • Laser cutter
  • Sawgrass Sublimation system, which allows printing images to press onto mugs or treated fabrics

Where do we get materials to participate? A certain stock of items is available at the centre for a small fee. The usage and equipment fee is 500 ISK per hour.

Brand new and ready for adventure together

Bryndís Steina Friðgeirsdóttir is the head of the Innovation Centre. “We are brand new and ready to grow even further with youth activities. Our work is so diverse that we hope our young people will see opportunities to come, enjoy creativity, and spend time together,” she says.

“There is an idea box online to further develop the programme. You can suggest more things to do. Young people can say what they want to see in the house, and we will consider their ideas to make things even better,” she adds.

“We welcome clubs. Role-playing gamers, for example, meet here on Thursdays. The Hafnarfjörður Youth Council also meets in the house. Yes, there is a lot going on,” she says, pointing out that there is a 20-square-metre meeting room in the house suitable for all kinds of club activities. “There is plenty of space.”

• The Innovation Centre opens at 9:00 in the morning. Staff are there until 22:00 on weekdays.

Yes, there is a lot on offer for young people. And that is not all. The library also runs Kit/Cosplay workshops every two weeks where young people and adults meet to work on their own costume ideas.

Note that this is for teenagers and older – not children.

Let’s remind our young people of all these opportunities – yes, it’s for them.