The Youth Services team run a year-round programme of events and activities that aims to engage with young people, keeping them off the streets by teaching them new skills and raising their aspirations.
With four permanent youth workers, plus up to 10 sessional workers at peak times during the year, OHG’s commitment and investment in this service is clear. During 2008 more than 850 programmes and activities were run, with 500 young people accessing one or more sessions. In total our youth services were accessed more than 10,000 times in the last year.
The range of activities and initiatives provided is diverse. We run seven youth clubs in Camden, Tower Hamlets and Berkshire and have set up Beavers, Cubs and Scouts groups in Virginia Quays and on the Flower & Dean estate, near Liverpool Street.
In 2008 full summer holiday programmes were run in Camden Town, Kings Cross and Tower Hamlets as well as a mini programme in Berkshire.
One Mic, One Life is a new initiative being run by the Youth Services Team, which is aimed at tackling the insidious rise of knife and gun crime among young people. Launched in August 2008 with a concert held at the Shaw Theatre, the initiative is engaging with hundreds of young people in the Camden and raising awareness of the negative and potentially fatal effects of this kind of violence. A youth forum is also being set up to provide young people with the opportunity to meet on a regular basis to discuss various aspects of knife and gun crime and to develop their own strategies and solutions to these issues.
Many of our projects are delivered in partnership with other organisations or partners. Funded by OHG’s development partner Mount Anvil, our Children’s Opportunities Fund, for example, invites parents to apply for grants of up to £300 to help their children access cultural, sporting or educational opportunities that may otherwise not be available to them.
If you would like to find out more or feel that you can offer financial support please contact Alasdair Gordon on 020 7428 4316 or email agordon@onehousinggroup.co.uk