RE:INVEST
Knights Youth Centre has secured funding and support from JP Morgan Chase Foundation to develop and deliver additional educational and training opportunities for young people who need and want to have a self sufficient and positive future.
This service will be called RE:INVEST and will seek to work with 60 young people (aged 13-19) per year who are (with input from various agencies including Youth Offending Team, Anti Social Behaviour Unit, Lambeth Young and Safe and three Metropolitan Police Safer Neighbourhood Teams) involved in negative activity including gang and criminal aspects, but also those who are at serious risk of being dragged in to such activities resulting in a negative impact on their education and personal development.
RE:INVEST will:
Deliver four educational courses for young people
KYC has asked an organisation called Mentivation to devise and deliver an eight week course which will provide the educational focus for the young people. Each course will include topics such as Dealing with Gangs, Bullying, Positive Peer Pressure, Healthy Lifestyles, Achieving Goals through Education, Positive Adult Engagement, Relationships and Respect. The course will be delivered by two experienced youth workers and facilitators who specialise in working with young people involved in negative behaviour which could result in them returning to education or employment. This programme would be delivered out of school hours.
Provide one to one mentoring for all young people who access RE:INVEST
One of KYC’s key objectives in its current Service Plan is to develop a mentoring programme for all young people who access RE:INVEST. The role of a suitable, positive adult role model in the lives of young people has been well documented over the years. KYC has provided an adhoc ‘mentoring’ programme over recent years, they now feel their resources and capacity is strong enough to formalise such a system. Each mentor will liaise with the facilitators from Mentivation and the Senior Youth Worker and Young Women’s Development Worker at KYC to ensure that each young person’s individual needs are being addressed.
Provide regular training in a range of topics
Communication skillsConflict/Anger Management resolutionLeadership skillsEmployment skills – including CV writing, Completing Application Forms, Interview techniques Basic literacy and numeracyManaging their financesKYC is working closely with the Metropolitan Police Lambeth Training Division to secure their resources to deliver the Conflict/Anger Management training course. This partnership would also develop and improve relationships and understanding between the young people and the Police.
Provide residential trips each year
The value (in youth and community work) of taking inner city/urbanised young people out into the country is underestimated. The residential serves two generic purposes; the young person experiences completely different aspects/cultures and this promotes self awareness and confidence, secondly it enables the youth worker to deepen their relationship with the young person. Each residential would be planned with the young people and would, where possible be delivered in a manner which would enhance their development and empower them. All residentials would be delivered by suitably AALA qualified and skilled instructors and workers. In Year One of RE:INVEST three residentials would be delivered; one weekend and two week long residentials.In Year Two of RE:INVEST one weekend residential would be delivered.Deliver a social action volunteering project
KYC will be planning to fully involve some of the young people who are accessing RE:INVEST on their next international social action project. In recent years KYC has led teams of young people to Rwanda and the mountains of Romania to participate in social action projects by working with the local communities in those areas. KYC will work with the young people on the RE:INVEST programme to create a team who can manage the physical, mental and emotional demands of organising such a project