WE REDUCE VIOLENCE WE SAVE LIVES

ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report June 2018 to June 2019 St Mary’s Centre (smc) works with vulnerable young people aged 12-25 facing daily threats of violence, kidnap and death in northwest . We work in local housing estates, schools, pupil referral units and prisons. We have 12 years’ proven record of violence reduction. We care for young people who have nowhere else to go.

CONTENTS Who we are 1 What we do 7 Our impact 19 We need to do more 25

bCOVER IMAGE: ALEXEY FEDORENKO ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 1 Who we are Our 4 promises Where we work

We have a Youth Work Manager, We are here for you a Youth Worker and two part time Young Women’s Workers. Our St Mary’s Centre Youth Workers are on call 24x7x365 including team is supported by young adult Christmas Day. volunteers. Local professionals fund raise and manage our service freely. 1 Jason Allen Youth Work Manager We stick with you

St Mary’s Centre will stay with you without condition until the age of 25. Emile Libock Youth Worker 2 We come to you

St Mary’s Centre will come to meet ESTATES SCHOOLS Sara Beshira you in your home, community, school 1 South Kilburn A UCL Young Women’s Worker or prison. Wherever you go, we 2 Rowley Way B St Paul’s Primary School follow you. 3 Lithos Road C 4 Swiss Cottage D CCFL (Pupil Referral Unit) 3 5 Chalcot Camilla Ferdinand 6 Fleet Young Women’s Worker We do everything we 7 Queen’s Crescent can to keep you safe 8 Denton Violence reduction is at the core of 9 Chalk Farm our work. We specialise in working 10 Castle Haven with young people our Youth Work 11 Peckwater (Kentish Town) Manager calls ‘not just the at risk, but the risk’. 12 Agar Grove 13 Combo/Regent’s Park 4 14 Somers Town

2 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 3 They have been What do partner services say about us? successful in reaching our most hard to reach students…St Mary’s CAMDEN CENTRE FOR LEARNING never gives up!

We talked with Jeanette Lowe, community, and through this they have remained engaged with them the Centre’s Director are able to secure the confidence when other services have fallen away and trust of the young people and or have closed the case because the How does St Mary’s their families. Their presence and young person is not engaging. contribute to your work involvement in the community St Mary’s never gives up! as a school? means they can often anticipate St Mary’s has been providing Health disputes and diffuse situations before What would you like to & Fitness and Drama sessions to they arise, avoiding the escalation of see happen next? the school this year. Through these potential conflicts. We want to continue to develop our they have been able to identify partnership with St Mary’s, working young people who are in need of What is being achieved? to ensure that our most vulnerable Camden Centre for Learning is The students at CCfL include cohort – who we often lose to Camden’s educational provision targeted mentoring because of their for secondary aged children and vulnerability to criminal exploitation some of the most vulnerable and the streets, violence and criminal young people whose primary in the community. The mentoring at risk students in Camden. The activity – are engaged in education, need is their social, emotional service – the only one we are aware mentors from St Mary’s that have achieving and succeeding, and most or mental health development. of which is available to young people been attached to our students have importantly, safe. It is made up of three specialist 24/7 – has enabled St Mary’s to keep been able to form highly effective services: our young people safe and divert and positive relationships with this them away from potentially high risk cohort, some of whom are either on • SEMH Special School • KS3 Pupil Referral Unit situations. the fringes or are already embedded • KS4 Pupil Referral Unit in anti-social behaviour and criminal Why does it matter? exploitation. The mentors help The service is so important for the our young people to develop their young people at our school because self-esteem, their resilience and the many of them do not have a positive skills and confidence they need to adult they can turn to when they are make more positive choices. They feeling vulnerable and unsafe. The have been successful in reaching mentors are very active in the local our most hard to reach students and

4 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 5 Why are we needed? What we do

Statistics show that crime is Poverty in our area worsening. Fewer safe places  30% of young people live in poverty in exist for young people on the our 3 local wards www.cuf.org.uk streets of London.  This amounts to 4,600 youth.  SMC estimates 20% of the 4,600 would benefit from our intensive 1:1 mentoring.  SMC could work with 920 more young people. Crime 30% of our local children and  16% increase in knife crime in London young people live 2017-18 Met Police in poverty  12% increase in homicide in London, costing the taxpayer £3.2 million that’s Home Office 4,600 youth  Youth who experience 4 or more Adverse living in poverty Childhood Experiences are 10 times more likely to be involved in violence every year by the time they are 18 20% of them are Commission on Youth Violence (CYV) estimated to  In the CYV Safer Lives Survey, only 46% need our of young people would ask the police for services advice when worried about crime we could Youth services work with  81 youth clubs have closed in London 920 since 2011 London’s Lost Youth Services, 2018 more  Youth centres are cited as the number one factor that make young people feel young people safer Safer Lives Survey, CYV

6 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 7 Violence reduction in communities When things go wrong: and on the streets how we respond to a crisis

Why? Where? Contact Identify When crimes are committed there We meet and mentor young people is a ‘wall of silence’ between ‘young in 14 local housing estates including  Young people reach  Youth worker identifies people and support services’.* SMC the challenging Peckwater and out to a trusted youth close friends of victim worker to report and those who need to are among few professionals who are Queen’s Crescent estates. We host an incident be contacted immediately trusted by both sides and effectively a drop-in session at SMC every to support them in a communicate with young people in Friday. We have an Open Door policy 1 time of trauma danger. throughout the week. Calm 2 What? Who?  Youth workers use time in SMC Workers work hard to Our two full time Youth Workers conversation to help young Engage communicate with residents and work intensively with on average people think things through, discover problems and dangers 20 young people each. Our Young reduce high emotions  Contact with young people that young people face. We build Women’s Workers have built a  Priority is to prevent reprisals is by phone first relationships and strengthen young growing new cohort of 10 young or further acts of violence  Face to face time if possible people’s resolve so as not to give in women.  SMC is always clear about  Youth workers always go sharing important information to destructive peer pressure. Each to young people where to protect all parties they feel safe Youth Worker mentors at risk individuals for around 10 to 15 hours 3 4 a week. Bring together

 Key young people are invited to take part in group work to process what has happened  Residential trip planning to take them away from volatile situations, expedited if need be. Priority given for family members and close friends.  Youth workers continue to monitor at risk youth *Commission on Youth Violence 5 8 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 9 Schools

Why? Who? Persistent disruptive behaviour and Our Support Youth Worker works physical assault against adults and with 15 pupils weekly. Our Young pupils are the most common reasons Women’s Worker is now building a for temporary and permanent new cohort of 5-10 young women. exclusions*. Research puts the cost of a school exclusion at £370,000** to society.

What? Youth Workers work with local schools to identify pupils at high Research puts the risk of exclusion and violence. With cost of a school pupils we discuss relationships, exclusion at choices, triggers, patterns of £370,000 behaviour and how to pre-empt dangerous situations.

Where? St Mary’s Centre works in UCL Academy and Haverstock School twice weekly.

*www.gov.uk/government/statistics/ permanent-and-fixed-period-exclusions-in- -2016-to-2017 **Institute for Public Policy Research, October 2017 www.ippr.org/files/2017- 10/making-the-difference-report- october-2017.pdf

10 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 11 Pupil Referral Units and Prisons

Why? Who? St Mary’s Centre intensive 1:1 SMC works with 10 young people mentoring support lowers the at CCFL. We work intensively numbers of young people in danger with approximately 10 offenders of committing crime and reoffending. in YOIs and prison, and maintain monthly contact with a further 25. What? SMC increases support close to their St Mary’s Centre liaises with the release dates and young offenders Director and staff of Camden Centre often come directly to SMC on for Learning, as well as UK Prison their day of release. We supply Manager Offenders and Probation clothes, food, toiletries and help with Officers. We tackle problems in housing, employment and education. homes, anger management, self- image and peer pressure. Older SMC cohorts meet and share histories with young mentees. This peer mentoring is extremely effective. ABDUL’S STORY Where? SMC works with Camden Centre for Youth Workers supported Learning (CCFL). Our Lead Youth Abdul in prison and met with Worker visits offenders in ISIS, the two mothers of his three Feltham, Cookham Wood, Ashfield, children. On his recent release Glen Parva, Swinfen Hall, Portland Abdul came directly to SMC. and Deerbolt YOIs. We also support Youth Workers arranged family offenders in HMP Aylesbury, meetings and helped him repair Belmarsh, Pentonville, Wandsworth relationships. At our youth and Wormwood Scrubs. This work summer party Abdul requires our team to travel over proudly brought along his 8,000 miles a year. family. Thanks to SMC he now has a stable job.

12 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 13 Group work in and out of London

Why? Who? SMC is a uniquely safe, neutral space 20-25 young people visit SMC each where rival gang members can meet. week. Two cohorts of 12-16 and 17-21 Away trips offer time away from year olds go away on our annual the daily dangers of inner London. trips. At SMC we are proud that All group work allows SMC Youth many of our referrals now come Workers to spot young people at risk from other young people, such is of becoming involved in gangs and their trust in our team. When our offer more intensive mentoring to Youth Workers need extra support, reduce this danger. 5 young adults who have benefitted from SMC mentoring now volunteer What? their time as paid session workers. SMC welcomes young people to St Transformation of our young people Mary’s Centre for drop-in sessions. from mentee to mentor tells how They socialise, play sports and music much we succeed with our local and discuss problems 1:1. We take youth. two cohorts of young people on residentials to hostels and activity camps for in-depth workshops and structured activities.

A YOUNG SMC VOLUNTEER

If I didn’t decide to participate in the youth sessions, trips out as a volunteer, I don’t know what I’d be doing; I ain’t psychic, but I can tell you this for free, I’d be more involved in negative activities than I could imagine.”

14 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 15 Unfortunately I found myself on through numerous prospectuses for CHARLIE’S STORY remand and in prison at the age of different colleges in order to keep me 15 years old looking at a very serious on the right track. At St Mary’s I was I have been fortunate enough to have charge. Not only did St Mary’s stay in helped to write the applications and been involved with St Mary’s for over close contact with me by visiting me, to understand how I could progress my mentor would attend court and with the grades that I already had. eight years and can easily say it has had also communicated with my family They helped me to write and sort out a huge impact on my life and helped about what was happening when they my CV as well as getting me work me deal with many situations. I first weren’t able to attend. St Mary’s are experience at St Mary’s. I got a taste got involved with St Mary’s through my respected highly in my family and of real life work which I found very definitely helped everyone cope with rewarding and was able to see just secondary school at the time, as I was the trauma of the situation. I was how hard Jason and the rest of the considered at risk and was referred to acquitted and released after been on staff at St Mary’s work to keep the a St Mary’s mentor. remand for 18 months. standards of care as high as they do. Upon release, I was almost I was able to finish college and St As a teenager, I was heavily associated with local immediately put into intensive care Mary’s helped me fill out my UCAS gangs and found myself getting in trouble both in with pneumonia and tuberculosis. It form for uni and started my first and out of school. I believe my troubles were due to was a very scary time for my family year aged 20. My past life of crime boredom and a build up of aggression with no real and me. Again my mentor would visit was still around me and my mentor opportunity to vent them. St Mary’s and Jason Allen me at my bedside, bringing me food would still carry on supporting me. gave me opportunities to turn my aggression into and magazines. His positive energy It was basically my therapy to leave mentoring and sport and taught me to use my skills and laughter was what I needed to the streets and manage my trauma creatively. get better and rebuild my confidence. of friends that were dying. I dropped He helped me not to think too out of uni after a year and St Mary’s St Mary’s accommodated me and my other friends’ negatively as I was fearing for my life supported me to get a job as a needs by setting up sessions to spend our spare on the streets when I went back. He postman which I have been employed time constructively rather than hanging around the supported me to manage my feelings as for 3 years now and have moved streets. We would have frank discussions about what and anxieties to stay away from crime away from violence and crime. I am situations we faced. St Mary’s took our group on and violence. also looking into becoming a teacher! residential trips to different parts of England, places that we would never normally venture to, showing Due to being in custody at the time I see how St Mary’s do this with us there is more out there then just our local area. of my GCSEs I wasn’t able to attain so many other people from the Trips gave us an opportunity to do fun things, which the results that were needed to get community that I am from. I know without St Mary’s help, our group of friends would onto a Level 3 course at college. As that if my mentor didn’t keep tabs on not be able to afford. well as being very unwell, I became me for all those years I would have depressed and felt that I wasn’t fallen back into violence and crime. I Setting up a football team with players that weren’t going to be able to achieve anything can only imagine I would be dead or in in my direct friendship group helped my social skills and would spend hours thinking of prison for a long time. It’s scary when I immensely. I built new relationships with boys from irrational and irresponsible ways to think about it. St Mary’s staff go above different areas and broke down boundaries I had progress and make money as I felt the and beyond to provide and motivate once been stuck in due to my gang mentality. Jason easier route was to turn to crime. the young people in our community taught me to take responsibility and lead. I even My mentor sensed how I was feeling and as mentors their support and became captain of the football team. These were and feared I might make a drastic help has saved my life. Their positive foundations to great skills I still use and rely on at decision to go back to a life of crime and inspirational attitude towards life the age of 23. The more time I spent at St Marys, and gangs. At this moment Jason and continues to influence anybody who is the further I grew apart from gang associates and St Mary’s welcomed me back into the lucky enough to get the opportunity violence. group, sitting down with me and going to be a part of St Mary’s. 16 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 17 Careers and social enterprise Our impact 2018-19

Why? support CV writing, arrange mock SMC understands that if young job interviews and introduce them to people are truly going to break the local professionals who offer informal cycle of violence and deprivation, advice and guidance. We stick by they need to learn professional skills their side whatever happens next. and find stable employment. Who? What? Last year SMC helped 18 young St Mary’s Centre knows that we people find apprenticeships and get must always begin with listening into work. We continue to support to our young people. We learn young people with their start-ups/ about their hopes and their fears. companies. Our new database of We guide and support them to professionals in north west London craft ambitious, realistic aspirations. who want to help at risk young We research new apprenticeships people supports this work. We are and social enterprise opportunities proud that over 30 individuals have weekly. When our team find an stepped forward to offer their time, opportunity, we help young people advice and support networks to SMC to prepare their applications. We mentees.

MO’S STORY: GANG LEADER TO MUSIC MANAGER

In 2008 Mo was a notorious Camden gang leader, excluded from school for repeated offences, under frequent surveillance by Police and refused help by Social Services. SMC mentored him for 10 years in school, in his Pupil Referral Unit and in prison. Mo is now both a music manager and on the verge of national success as a rap artist and supporting his two daughters. Mo also manages a young SMC mentee and comes to PRUs and YOIs to share his story and encourage young people to learn from his mistakes. He has now become a Trustee of SMC. Mo will have a unique insight to help us become better mentors to at risk young people.

18 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 19 Our work in numbers

How many young people? Education 166 3 10 2 young people that we’ve worked with across northwest London local secondary pupils deemed at high risk of groups of 12 pupils schools that we’ve exclusion that we've worked that we’ve worked mentored in with intensively 1-2-1 each week with weekly 142 24 females males Pupil Referral Units 2 2 6 17 the Camden PRUs groups of approximately 9 pupils pupils that we’ve 62 87 we’re now working each that we’ve mentored worked with in in secondary school aged 16-25 with weekly intensively 1-2-1 primary school Employment and training

9,301 29 face to face contacts of our 40 highest risk young people (Not in 18 7 young people we’ve helped into jobs of our young people have worked as Education, Employment or Training and/or gang and training schemes paid mentors on our summer residential members) that we’ve worked with intensively trips for younger at risk children

Young women Gang interventions Prisons 5 15 11 25 at risk young women mentored in school interventions in incidents visits to different visits we’ve made to prison weekly by Sara, our Young Women’s where there was a critical prisons by Jason, our Worker, since September 2018 threat of violence Lead Youth Worker

20 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 21 We value our people Reaching out

Why? We now organise a 3 month SMC is proud to be a local project. At St Mary’s Centre we know that programme for neighbouring youth We visit schools, community centres frontline violence reduction and services to meet us at The Tavistock and faith groups to share our work mentoring is demanding work. and Portman to discuss challenging and grow community support. SMC is Youth Workers need to be resilient, case studies using a trauma informed often reported in local news. compassionate professionals who are approach. experts in supporting young people Young voices with trauma. Our team have to Who? Our priority is always to listen to and process distressing events far beyond  Our Youth Work Manager learn from our young people. We what most of us will ever encounter. receives professional support from invite verbal feedback during weekly a leading clinical psychologist. drop-in sessions. We are proud that What?  Our Support Youth Worker our young people frequently speak to SMC has built a close working is studying a course in Child local people and supporters about the relationship with The Tavistock Development. impact SMC has on their lives. and Portman, a world leading NHS  Our team are now AMBIT trained trust ‘committed to improving through the , Speaking out mental health and wellbeing’ focusing on trauma informed In 2017/18 our Youth Work Manager (tavistockandportman.nhs.uk/) responses to youth work. has been a member of Camden’s Youth Safety Task Force working with MPs, councillors, police and local partners to create coordinated responses to tackle the Camden increase in knife crime. He now sits with Keir Starmer MP on bodies with Camden Council to coordinate key services supporting at risk young people. SMC is represented on the Islington and Camden Citizens’ Safety Commission. The local community invite MPs, councillors, Police, local faith leaders, headteachers and with Sadiq Khan

22 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 23 psychologists to learn ways to solve We need to do more local problems. In July 2018 SMC’s Youth Work Manager spoke to 900 Police Now Academy graduates on a platform with Metropolitan Police ‘Learn from Jason – Commissioner Cressida Dick. he knows how to prevent youth crime.’ Knife amnesty bin Met Police At St Mary’s Centre we know that Commissioner violence reduction always begins Cressida Dick with prevention. We host Camden’s first knife amnesty bin part funded by St Mary’s Church. Tens of knives have already been surrendered.

24 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 25 We want to How much do Support us do more we cost? All giving to SMC makes a big difference We know SMC could mentor 4 times Current costs = £100k Here’s an idea of how much our work costs. as many young people. But we are running at capacity. So now we’re planning for the future.

We want to:  Guarantee the incomes of our current Youth Workers (2 full time, 2 part time Young Women’s £20 £50 will pay for a Youth Worker will pay for a part time volunteer for Workers) 1:1 mentoring session five hours of group mentoring  Recruit a new full time Youth Worker

What will a new £k Youth Worker do? 65 salaries + NI  Identify and mentor 10 more 14 youthwork activities 12 sessional workers and young people at risk in streets part time mentors and estates 5 training  Take on a further 10-15 pupils in 2 expenses 2 fees schools mentoring £250 £550  Organise an additional residential will pay for a young person to go on will pay for a youth worker to go on one week’s residential away trip a professional development course trip for the new cohort of young people Future costs = £126k  Help an estimated 10 mentees £65k find education, apprenticeships £14k £12k and employment £5k How can I give? £2k Regular giving by direct debit is the Online www.justgiving.com/smcct £2k Bank account Santander £21k additional youth worker easiest way for individual supporters £5k additional residentials to give, or a one-off donation can Account number 04555171 be made online, by post or by bank Sort code 09 01 50 transfer.

26 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 27 Thank you to our friends

 Expat  St Mary’s Church  Hadley Trust ‘The Shadworth Hodgson ‘Many of these young  Stephanie Free Bequest is proud to support people don’t see another  Jeremy Large and Julia Giese SMC because of the vital way of life. We show them work that it is doing with that there is another way  Anthony Wills disadvantaged young people – of life.’  Lottery Fund ‘Awards for All’ work that is so valuable as it Jason Allen  Artemis Funds has arisen from a direct and Youth Work Manager  Tula Trust first hand knowledge of the  Span Trust needs and challenges facing the local community.’  Friends of St Mary’s  Biss Davies Trust  Shadworth Hodgson Bequest  Primrose Hill Dog Show  Susan J. Knight  Curtis Brown  Mrs J. Hawkins and donors who wish to remain anonymous St Mary’s Centre also wishes St Mary’s Centre is the operating to thank Christine Ayre for name of St Mary’s Centre designing this report. Community Trust Registered Charity No. 1122054 www.justgiving.com/smcct Bank account Santander Account number 04555171 Sort code 09 01 50

28 ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report ST MARY’S CENTRE Annual Report 29 Want to find out more?

St Mary’s Centre Elsworthy Road London NW3 3DJ 020 7722 3238 [email protected]

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