Youth Project
The KCB Youth Project aims to provide programmes of activities that meet young people’s needs and priorities, and offer quality support which will help them to achieve and progress in life.
KCB Youth Team
The KCB Youth Team is indebted to all its funders for supporting the diverse activities available for the benefit of young people in the King's Cross area. We have achieved an exceptional outcome for the service users who face prejudice and social exclusion in our society. Our work has contributed to achieving the Every Child Matters five key themes - Being Healthy; Staying Safe; Enjoying and Achieving; Making a Positive Contribution and Economic Well Being and Quality of life.The positive outcomes achieved by providing multiple activities, diverting young people away from anti-social behaviour and youth crime, teaching about substance misuse and mental health, and offering new experiences, have given young people a renewed selfbelief. The Youth Team ethos is based on believing in and investing in young people by providing positive activities for them. Please see below measurable outcomes accomplished by the Team.
Youth Centre
The Youth Centre offers a drop-in service 3 nights a week providing services for more than 150 young people. The facilities include learning opportunities, one-to-one support, recreational activities, team building, residential trips, educational, employment & training advice, sporting activities, internet access, drugs workshops, general health advice and much more. The Youth Centre has seen a remarkable reduction in anti-social behaviour and in our services becoming over subscribed in both indoor and outdoor facilities. The continuous provision throughout the year offers young people the opportunity to engage in meaningful activities.
DJ Workshops
The workshops are held fortnightly on Wednesdays for all age groups and on Fridays for the Under 16's. The young people like to call the sessions DJ workshops as they feel the limelight is on them when they are performing. The sessions provide an opportunity for young people to participate, use various types of equipment, mixing a variety of music and building their selfconfidence. The session attracts more than 60 participants a week.
Friday's Under 16's Group
These sessions are well liked by the members as they feel they offer them an incomparable space to discuss and participate in their preferred activities. The gathering of young people encourages them to actively participate in the planning of programmes which include workshops such as misuse of drugs, health & fitness, knife crime awareness sessions, trips to the cinema, restaurants, bowling and much more. These sessions are rotated every month and currently we have over 30 young people attending the sessions. Drugs and Mental Health Workshops We are working with various drugs agencies to raise the profile of substance misuse and its implications, from a social and legal perspective. The workshops are targeted at different age groups, hence range from raising the awareness of dangers of smoking to misuse of drugs. The participants are able to discuss and learn in a safe environment instead of being misguided by social norms. The young people very much appreciate the interactive learning gained through role-plays, visual imagery and audiotapes. Camden Primary Care Trust (PCT) delivered a number of mental health workshops. The workshops gave information about different types of mental health such as stress and depression and places where young people can seek support. The stigma attached to mental health has led to young people avoiding discussions on this subject. Some young people have a very limited understanding of mental health and this has not been helped by the negative reports in the media. This is an area of work that we are developing in partnership with Camden PCT.
Cyber Sessions
All in all, this is the most popular session amongst the younger group members who value the opportunity to surf the net, undertake their homework and develop their research skills. Over 100 young people access the I.T. suite on a weekly basis.
Summer Programme
As in previous years, we have catered for the diverse groups of young people in the King's Cross area. The young people were encouraged to become involved in the planning and delivery aspects of the Summer activities. We provided weekly sports sessions at Argyle Square Park, health and fitness sessions at 1KX, a day trip to Thorpe Park, a boat trip on the canal, team building sessions, conflict resolution workshops, FA Level 1 coaching, knife crime awareness workshops, a Spray Can Art project and a BBQ evening at the Youth Centre. Over 200 young people participated in these activities throughout the Summer, and we are particularly grateful to all our funders for their much needed contributions. Residential to Disneyland Paris A four day residential was organised for the under 16's group to Disneyland Paris. The young people wanted to go on a residential abroad, as many of them had never been outside of London let alone England. In Paris, we took the young people on an open bus tour of monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame de Paris Cathedral and many other attractions. The young people also learnt about the Euro and exchange rates. The highlight for the group was visiting the Disney Park night parade. The young people were involved in the planning of the residential by undertaking all the necessary research. In total, 14 young people benefited from this residential.
Outreach Work
We regularly undertake outreach youth work to meet new young people who are not accessing the centre-based activities and to publicise our youth provisions. Demand for outreach youth provision has increased due to the funding cuts made to young people's service providers in the South Camden area. Both Police and local residents have reported incidents of young people causing problems in the local area hence we are working in partnership with Camden Youth Offending and Youth and Connexions Service to address this ongoing problem. KCB has very limited resources to respond to the plight of young people who cause anti-social behaviour around the King's Cross area. We are working with Tonbridge Boys Club to secure funding for dedicated detached youth work. A detached project needs to be developed with a view to engaging the hard to reach young people who face prejudice and social exclusion in our society. Monday Night Football Free Play Session These sessions are very popular and we have more than 60 local young people from diverse backgrounds attending the sessions on Monday evenings. The sessions are designed to enable and empower the local young people who do not normally access the youth centre facilities. In the sessions, we publicise our work and relevant events and open days for young people. Young people have shown an improved attitude, which has contributed towards their behaviour and personal and social development.
Local Festivals
Young people supported in the planning process of Camden Bangladesh Mela (cultural event), King's Cross County Show and Camden Unity Cup (football tournament in the Borough of Camden). Participants were very keen to participate and engage in their local community events. This kind of provision offers young people the opportunity to contribute towards community affairs and promote good citizenship in the wider community. Young people participated in the workshops leading to performances at the events. 35 young people volunteered to support the events and consequently gained experience and recognition for their valuable contribution. For some, this gave an insight into community development work in the broader sense.
The Sport Leadership Project
The project consists of a variety of sporting and educational activities, and has explored the issues that lead to youth conflicts and how these issues can be resolved. The project has been divided into two distinct areas that aim to obtain the same goals focusing on sporting activities and the employment & training advice sessions. This year, the project focused on working with young people from the Cromer Street area (King's Cross) and Holborn area (Dragon Hall). On Tuesdays the project worked with the young people from Dragon Hall and on Thursdays with those from the Cromer Street area. In consultation with young people, the project workers organised monthly sporting activities and programmes which the young people wished to undertake. The sporting activities consisted of young people participating in football, cricket, gym and swimming sessions. Some of the workshops included conflict resolution training, anger management, stop and search and knife crime workshops incorporated as part of the overall programme for both groups. In addition, we also worked with 11-13 year olds on Wednesdays at the KCB Youth Centre, providing a wide range of sporting activities at Argyle Square Park and conflict prevention activities as part of the proactive approach to educate and divert young people away from conflict, anti-social behaviour, youth crime etc.
- During the summer, 40 young people took part in our sports and health and fitness programmes which included football, cricket, swimming and health & fitness sessions.
- We encouraged 30 challenging young people from Cromer Street and the Holborn areas to participate in the conflict resolution training and anger management training.
- Participants took part in knife crime workshops learning about how to reduce knife crime and effects of knife crime. This has created a greater awareness of the impact of knife crime amongst participants in the wider community.
- A day trip was organised to The Peel Centre in Hendon (Police Training Centre) in partnership with the Bloomsbury Safer Neighbourhood Team. 10 young people enjoyed an educational visit to the Police Training Centre touring the classrooms, the museum and the training facilities. The visit had a very positive impact on young people's outlook towards the Police.
- 30 young people took part in the Third Party reporting workshop run by the Camden BME Alliance. Young people learnt how to write a statement, report crimes/incidents and provide any information that can be valuable to the police.
- During the Summer, project members helped to organise the Under 14's Camden Unity Cup football tournament in Argyle Square Park. 15 teams from across Camden participated in the event which included music, a job fair, games and various other entertainment.
Employment & Training Advice
We have a regular drop-in session for 16-25 year olds every Tuesday and Thursday at the Kings Cross Neighbourhood Centre for employment & training advice. This has helped unemployed young people to become more aware of opportunities available to them and seek support in CV writing, job searching and training courses to make them more employable. We have worked with Camden Council, Careers Service, Youth Offending and Youth & Connexions Service, Job Centre Plus, local Colleges, Camden Housing and Unemployment Project, Kings Cross Working and various other services working in the frontline with young people. This project has achieved the following employment & training outcomes:
- 20 young people enrolled into further education.
- 16 young people managed to seek full/parttime employment.
- 5 work placements have been organised for local young people within the local authority and voluntary organisations.
- During the Summer, KCB and South Camden Youth Access Point organised a careers fair in Argyle Square Park for local people in partnership with various agencies working in the employment field. Young people benefited from agencies offering jobs, free training, access to courses and apprenticeship schemes.
- A number of participants reported that the drop-in sessions have increased their selfesteem and self-confidence in searching for employment. Some young people have also recommended the advice sessions to their friends.
Volunteers
KCB provides tailor made training programmes to meet the needs of individuals. We encourage our service users to volunteer through their participation in project-based work or by undertaking activities. KCB believes volunteers form the lifeblood of our organisation, and their energy, enthusiasm, commitment and leadership can create a positive change in their local communities. Many of our volunteers deliver our services and facilitate our activities with the active support of the KCB Youth Team. Project members were encouraged to become involved in the planning and delivery aspects of our activities. We aim to promote social inclusion by encouraging participation in activities such as volunteering and community engagement. Throughout the year we have had 41 volunteers supporting events and festivals and currently we have 3 volunteers at the Youth Centre.
Camden United Project
The project continues to use football as the tool to bring together and unite diverse groups of young people who engage in youth conflict, racial conflict, youth crime and antisocial behaviour. At present the project provides two training sessions for 10-14 and 15-25 year olds. We have over 45 senior (15-25 age group) members attending training sessions every Monday (6.30 - 9.00pm). The juniors (10-14 age group) with over 25 members attend training every Tuesday (6.30 - 8.00pm). These sessions are run during term-time only.
- In our sessions we focus on providing a structured programme including warm up sessions, team building, advice on healthy eating, building self- confidence, raising awareness of youth conflict, violence and exploring how these issues impact the wider community.
- The project has received several awards and recognition for promoting social and community cohesion. Youth projects and national organisations across the country have sought advice as to how to set up similar projects.
- Young people took part in a BBC1 documentary explaining why young people get involved in youth conflict and youth crimes and setting out the alternatives for young people. Project members spoke about their positive experiences of the Camden United Project and how it enabled them to overcome many barriers.
Partnership Work
We have developed partnerships with
numerous statutory and voluntary
organisations including schools, colleges,
Calthorpe Project, King's Cross Mosque,
Bengali men's Project, Coram's Fields,
Holy Cross Church, Age Concern, New
Roots, Impact, Mary Ward Centre, Holborn
Community Development Project, Camden
Community & Police Consultative Forum,
Police, Families In Focus, Round House, Youth
Offending and Youth & Connexions Service,
Primary Care Trust, Health Centres, London
Youth, Club for Young People, Kings Cross
Business Forum, Kings Cross Working, Surma Centre, Hopscotch, Coram Parents Centre,
Fitzrovia Youth in Action, Camden Job Centre,
Holborn Dragon Hall, Community Safety Team,
Kings Cross Team, Camden Working, Local
Education Authority, Government Office for
London (GOL), Housing, Equalities Team, Arts
and Tourism Team, Libraries, Environment
Department, Community Development &
Regeneration, Social Services, Voluntary
Action Camden, national youth agencies,
Transport for London (TfL), Surestart,
British Council and various other agencies
working in the front line with young people.
The partnership work has sustained and
maintained a variety of our work by offering
young people a real choice. Please see below
for examples of our partnership work.
Positive Activities for Young People
Positive Activities for Young People (PAYP) is
to target young people during the 12 weeks
of school holidays. The purpose of the
funds are to work with young people who
are engaging in anti-social behaviour, youth
conflict, youth crime, misuse of drugs and
young people with challenging behaviour in
order to divert them to meaningful activities.
We organised a six-week youth workshop
in Spray Can Art for young people. It taught
young people the importance of team
building and ensured that everyone involved
was treated equally and respectfully. The
workshops were designed to provide a
background history of the art form and
to demonstrate the techniques required
to produce quality Spray Can Art. 18
young people took part in the project and
an article featured in the Camden New
Journal in September, praising the excellent
work. Participants will receive accredited
certificates at the Camden Mayor's Parlour in
recognition of their achievements.
As part of the PAYP activities, young people
will take part in a Gym and Health & Fitness
session (six week programme) in which
young people will work in a group setting.
Introduction to health & fitness sessions may
encourage young people to take up moderate
exercise. Any increase in uptake will be an
achievement in view of the increasing levels
of obesity amongst young people. This part of
the programme will be completed in March
2009.
Thursday Girl's Group
The girl's project is continuing to support
the social and personal needs of local young
females aged 13-19. This is held every
Thursday 4.30-7.30pm at the KCB Youth
Centre. Girls who
took part in this
project were
able to achieve a
variety of recorded
and accredited
outcomes. Four
members gained an AQA certificate in Henna Painting while eight
members achieved an AQA certificate in
T-shirt printing.
The highlight of the year was the involvement
of five members who supported the Camden
Unity Cup under 14's tournament in August.
This event was officially opened by the Mayor
of Camden and was attended by over 80
young people. In addition, the young group
managed to raise over #150 from local
businesses, which contributed towards the
overall costs of the event.
KCB has developed this project in partnership
South Camden Youth Access Point (SCYAP).
Participants also benefit from other services
offered by KCB and SCYAP. For example, with
the help of SCYAP's Connexions personal
advisor, five members have completed
employment placements and two of them
have secured part-time positions.
Peer Research Project
The Government Office for London (GOL)
commissioned KCB to deliver the peer
research projects in Camden. In partnership
with Hopscotch Asian Women's Centre and
Somali Community Forum, KCB trained 12
young men and women from the Muslim
Community to be peer researchers. The
researchers produced questionnaires in
consultation with key partners and project
workers, and subsequently completed the
questionnaires with targeted groups in
Camden.
The project attempted to develop a better
understanding of the issues that drive
extremism and promote community cohesion.
We adopted a proactive approach by
involving young people and women to identify
barriers to community cohesion, and identify
strategies to counter violent extremism. A
report with recommendations was produced
in consultation with the feedback and
comments from the peer researchers and
partners involved. Camden-Abu Dis Friendship Association
Camden-Abu Dis Friendship Association
(CADFA) is a group promoting Human Rights
and respect for International Humanitarian
Law in Abu Dis, Palestine. The young people
at the Youth Centre hosted a group from
Palestine and shared stories and experiences.
Our members at the Youth Centre were
enlightened by the stories especially of
the hardship faced in Palestine and had
very interesting, albeit at times heated,
discussions about human rights. This is the
second visit we have hosted and hope to
arrange many more in the future.
