Changes, challenges and progress Knights Youth Centre Annual review 2018 We are Knights …and this is what we do Knights Youth Centre has provided a safe, fun, inclusive and engaging place for thousands of young people for more than 80 years. It is the main provider of youth services in and around the Clapham Park Estate in Lambeth, London, an area of high social and economic need. Many of the 300 young people who come through our doors each week live in the area, but the impact of our work reaches across the borough. Our work focuses on offering continuous and consistent care, transformative opportunities, positive role models and new experiences to the young people aged 8-24 regardless of their gender, race, sexuality or disability. In addition to ‘standard’ activities, we provide sports coaching, offsite trips, regular residentials, international social action programmes, specialised work with girls, arts and dance, access to IT equipment and vocational training. Crucially we also undertake targeted outreach with young people who, through disengagement with ‘traditional’ services, are at risk of involvement with gangs, drugs and anti-social behaviour. Contents Chair’s introduction 02 Making progress A song and dance 14 A year at Knights Working with girls 15 Juniors 06 Fundraising at Knights 16 Girls at Knights 08 The Mongol Rally 17 Inters 10 Partnerships in practice 20 Seniors 12 Working with the SLRA 22 Pursuing excellence 23 Knights memories 25 Accounts and finances 28 01 Chair’s introduction A year of goodbyes, hellos, The past year has been a busy one, and new opportunities full of changes, challenges and development. Joseph joined us as Head of Youth Work Services. Kemi took on a new role working with girls. A number of new volunteers joined us. And we’ve continued to develop our partnerships with schools. We’ve said goodbye to two trustees. Simon Clarke was Vice Chair for two years – I’m hugely grateful for the support he gave to the board. Rev. John Marshall has left the board after more than two decades in which he provided invaluable support to the team, staff and members. We’ve also said goodbye to Este, who provided us with voluntary oversight of training and development. Thanks to you all – your contributions have been valued, and you’ll be much missed. We’re committed to helping members become confident, resilient young people ready to make a positive contribution to their community. Millie Grant Chairperson 02 Knights Youth Centre Annual review 2018 Sadly, Les Long and Brian Longman I send condolences to Les and Brian’s – both long-time friends of Knights – families and give thanks for their lives have passed away. Les was a youth and the incredible legacy they leave worker during the 1940s, 50s and behind in all those they influenced. 60s. He played a key role in the life Time to look forward. Recognising and management of Knights and was that girls have unique needs and chair of the management team in the benefit from targeted support, we’ve sixties. He was well known by young appointed a youth worker to specialise people for the rich encouragement he in this area. London Mayor’s Fund gave them, and many benefitted from have given us a grant to support the his support and advice – particularly work. We’ve also received funds from when entering the world of work and BBC Children in Need. Our team of adulthood. fundraisers put in a huge amount of Brian Longman was appointed work to secure these funds. Knights’ first full-time youth leader in In other positive news, we’re the 1960s (while Les was chair). Brian delighted to welcome four new led what at the time was an entirely trustees to the board. Abbi Oakley, voluntary service. It was during this Caspar Kennerdale, Andrea Rowe time that Knights welcomed girls and Ed Wall each bring incredible for the first time and introduced the skills, experience and passion so-called ‘Koffee Shop’: a Sunday which will benefit our work. morning debating group. On Sunday evenings guest speakers from all faiths and backgrounds came to the centre to talk to the young people. 116 The average number of young people we worked with each week in 2018. 150+ The number of regular club sessions we delivered in 2018. Knights Youth Centre Annual review 2018 03 Chair’s introduction Continued We’re an organisation that relies on Knights in 2019 delivers a wide range donations of both time and money to of services and activities for young our work. Thanks in particular to: people ranging from developing leadership skills to exciting offsite • Our team of volunteers who donate activities. We’re committed to helping their time and expertise for us members become confident, resilient • The Harriet Trust for your financial young people ready to make a positive support contribution to their community. We’re always on the lookout for • The Football Association for volunteers to work in our Juniors, providing members with the Inters, Seniors and Girls sessions – opportunity to attend matches especially those who have specific at Wembley and be flagbearers skills to share (for example arts, crafts, or player escorts as teams enter performance, cookery). If you’d like the pitch to help, we’d love to hear from you. • The partners who help us deliver It’s been a full but positive year our work – Young Lambeth Co- here at the centre. Enjoy reading operative, Hope Pilates, Inspirational the report – and thank you for your Youth and the South London continued interest, support and Refugee Association prayers for our work. • Our patron George Clarke Millie Grant • Chuka Umunna, our local MP Chairperson • All the valued ‘friends’ of the Knights who provide all kinds of support George Clarke and Chukka Umunna are long-term supporters of our work. 04 Knights Youth Centre Annual review 2018 A year at Knights Updates from Knights’ engine room, our four sections: Juniors, Girls at Knights, Inters and Seniors. Knights Youth Centre Annual review 2018 05 A year at Knights Juniors An update from Shem Frank, Things aren’t always plain sailing. Junior Team Leader Our young people often arrive with challenges that keep us on our toes. Juniors is a fundamental part of the Our staff are experienced, diverse youth work we deliver at Knights. and equipped to work with those We engage around 30 young people challenges and have brought in new aged 8-11 every week. Friday nights ideas this year to tackle them in new in Tierney Road are ‘popping’ (as the ways. This has included developing young people would say). The building group work discussions and individual is filled with excitement and laughter. sessions to explore a range of topics Juniors enjoy a varied programme such as the transition to secondary of onsite activities and offsite trips. school, youth violence and friendship Over the last year we’ve visited Flip choices. These discussions have Out, gone bowling, played sports in allowed our members to express local parks and spent a residential their hopes, concerns and worries weekend at Wey Island (a facility freely. This relationship-based by a Surrey river that Knights have practice is possible due to the skill taken young people to for decades). and commitment of the staff and Favourite activities at the club volunteers at Juniors. have included football, dodgeball, We’ve big plans for the next year: more cooking (our members are always offsite trips and a week-long residential hungry) and absolutely anything during the summer. Most importantly that involves competitions and the however, we’ll continue to empower, chance to win prizes. encourage and challenge young people, standing alongside them on their journeys through life, school and Knights itself. Juniors is filled with excitement and laughter. Friday nights are ‘popping’ – as the young people would say. Shem Frank Junior Team Leader 06 Knights Youth Centre Annual review 2018 New to Knights? Our Juniors section is aimed at young people aged 8-11. It runs on Fridays. Knights Youth Centre Annual review 2018 07 A year at Knights Girls at Knights An update from Kemi Adeshina, Elsewhere the girls have attended our new Senior Girls Youth workshops to encourage and Worker empower them to work in the UK’s tech industry as they prepare Knights has run girls-only sessions for themselves for employment in a some years now to respond to their world that is being transformed unique needs and deliver targeted by innovation and automation. support. Our team provides a safe The sessions gave the girls greater environment where an average of ten understanding of how they can girls a week are engaged, challenged, channel their favourite subjects and supported and empowered. We aim to interests into a future career. help them live a well-rounded life and reach their full potential. We’ve also worked hard to mentor and empower the girls to think about Sessions this year have been exciting becoming youth leaders themselves and engaging. We’ve provided (who could in turn do the same for recreational and educational activities a new generation). We’ve created such as arts and crafts, day trips, various opportunities for the girls cooking classes and homework to develop and connect with this support. vision by periodically giving them But we push further, too. The opportunities and responsibilities members and the youth workers have to lead games, activities and forum together enjoyed stepping out of discussions, as well as plan club their comfort zone, which has been sessions and events. This has been positively transformative all round. hugely effective – the girls have ‘Theme of the month’ discussions, been able to discover leadership for example, provide a structured and find out more about themselves approach and a forum to discuss as individuals.