The Knights Youth Centre annual report 2008/09. Twelve months of change and growth for the centre, including an update on how Knights fits into regeneration plans for the local area and a visit to Westminster.

1. Change and growth
t
gh
ni
Knights Youth Centre
Annual Report 2009

2. Knights Youth Centre has been working with
young people for over 70 years.
In 2009 it is still growing: providing
opportunities, role models and an open
door for young people in south London.
From Streatham to the river Wye, from
Rwanda to Romania, Knights is making a
much-needed difference in the lives of
countless young people day in, day out.

4. 04 a note from the 10 knights in numbers
CHAIRMAN
stats
06 a year of and &
CHAN GE &
G ROWT H
facts
11 friend in the frame
08 our
SUCCESSES James
Parker
12 school years 4-7
JUN IORS
12 school years 8-10
INTERS

5. 13 school years 11+ 19 knights at the
13
SENIORS
the team
summit
20 talking about my
FOOTBALL re
generation
14 ask the accountant
money 22 passing on our
16 from raising Rwanda to
Thanks
raising
ROMANIA
18 five years in training
TYLAP

6. note from the
chairman
“IT’S BEEN A YEAR OF
CHANGE, HARD WORK
AND ACHIEVEMENT”
for the team who have worked hard to
make TYLAP the effective programme it
has become.
Due to TYLAP’s continued success, the
Walcot Foundation has made a substantial
Welcome to the Knights Youth Centre grant to the Knights Youth Centre to
08/09 Annual Report. As Chair, I am broaden its influence beyond the local
delighted to introduce a report that estates and across the whole of Lambeth.
summarises a year of change, hard work This programme will focus its efforts on
and achievement. particularly vulnerable young people,
including those on the edge of offending
We are operating in a changing behaviour. For us, the Walcot Foundation
community. Just as it has done many times grant is a clear sign of the growing faith
since it was established over 70 years ago, funding organisations have in Knights to
Knights has needed to adapt to meet the establish meaningful contact with our
needs of that community. Over the past 12 most vulnerable young people and deliver
months we have responded to an tangible, positive outcomes.
extensive consultation process,
reorganising our age groups and focusing I would like to pay personal tribute to the
on new priority areas such as estate work of the Knights team, staff and
outreach work. volunteers. Even beyond the over 500
sessions and activities we have run for
Our Trainee Youth Leader Apprenticeship young people over the past year, there is
Programme (TYLAP), which works to so much to be proud of. Thank you for your
deliver accredited qualifications in youth ongoing interest and support in our work –
work to young people in the community, is enjoy the report.
now in its fifth year. Our local MP, Keith
Hill, has been so impressed with its results Chris Saunders began working with Knights in
that he intends to table a question in 1973 and has been Chairman for the past 21
Parliament on why the model can’t be years. In addition to his voluntary work, he is a
senior manager in Children’s Social Services for
implemented nationwide: praise indeed
an inner London borough.
04

7. TYLAP trainees enjoy themselves during a training weekend in late 2008
05

8. a year of
change and
growth
youth work that makes a difference
…positive
…tangible
…life-changing
Once more it has been a busy year,
characterised by new developments, fresh
opportunitites
ideas and challenges overcome. new dimension to TYLAP by extending our
targeting to young people who are not in
A complete restructure of the service at education, employment or training.
Knights came following an extensive
consultation process. Responding to The team also expanded in 2009 with
demand, Juniors (school years 4-7) and recruitment of some key personnel,
Inters (years 8-10) now open twice a week, including Angela Robinson (Young
Seniors (years 11+) now have a longer Women’s Development), Rob English
session and we have started a street dance (Senior Outreach Project Worker), Simone
class. Gooden (TYLAP Assistant Coordinator) and
Suzanne Davis (Walcot Apprentice Support
The year also saw the last session for ‘Early Manager).
Knights’, which had served young people
aged 6-9 since 1990. With increasing It has certainly been a year of change and
government funding for extended school growth. But, at its core, Knights is just the
programmes, we were duplicating services same: challenging itself to provide positive,
and felt that our energies would be best tangible and life-changing opportunities
placed offering more than one evening for for all young people we come into contact
the older age groups. with.
We have further increased the depth of Stu Thomson has been the Senior Youth
our service through the development of Worker at Knights Youth Centre since January
our Senior Outreach Project, Reachin’ Out; 2000.
the rebirth of Girls@Knights; and adding a
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9. 07

10. our successes
scrooge! reachin’ out
Juniors put on an ambitious Christmas In the wake of increasing concerns about the
production of Scrooge! in the winter term. growth of anti-social behaviour and crime
amongst young men, Knights have launched
From acting and rapping to singing and dancing, the Reachin’ Out (or RIO) project. The project
the young people enjoyed showcasing their aims to tackle the problem by providing
talents to parents and the local community. positive opportunities and alternatives.
Staff and young people alike worked long and
hard, and not just the actors – those who didn’t Devised by Knights Youth Centre in partnership
want to perform helped to create a magnificent with the Clapham Park Project, RIO has had a
set and backdrop. remarkable impact on the lives of the young
men who have been involved in the initiative.
It was a wonderful experience for the leaders to Based around engaging each young person with
witness the creation of something so unique - sessions tailored specifically for them, our aim
the raw talent of our members really stole the is to enable these young men to envisage a
show. different – but positive – future.
Already the RIO project has helped many of
these young men start to turn their lives
around. Two youth workers are spending hours,
sometimes days, each week with the young
men doing a range of activities including day
trips to the country, meals with other
community groups, learning employment skills,
going to the gym and working on basic
numeracy and literacy.
08

11. girls@knights w alco t
Girls@Knights, which opened in November The Walcot Apprenticeship Scheme is an
2008, runs on Wednesday evenings and has a exciting and new aspect of our service.
core group of 12 girls in school years 6 -11.
The Walcot Apprenticeship Scheme, targeting
With a general theme of ‘healthy lifestyles’, the young people not currently in education,
girls have taken part in a variety of activities employment or training, will provide a three
including sport, artwork, manicures, cooking year apprenticeship for 10 young people. Each
and jewellery-making. There have also been apprentice will be provided with secure
offsite activities including swimming, night employment, training and qualifications in their
walks and going to the theatre. Visits from chosen career.
Judith Sherlock, a sexual-health nurse from
Lambeth Primary Care Trust, have given the Knights has been granted the contract to
girls an opportunity to discuss issues around sex employ Suzanne Davis as the Walcot
and relationships. Apprenticeship Scheme Support Manager.
Suzanne will be responsible for supporting,
The first six months of Girls@Knights has been a developing and guiding the young apprentices
great success. The work of the group will over the three years.
become ever more important over the next 12
months, as many of the girls make the
transition to secondary school.
09

12. stats and facts
the number of evening sessions delivered: 407
132 meals cooked for young people
delivered 80 excursions
80% - the proportion of staff under 22
number of targeted RIO sessions: 42
an average of 27 members per session
handed 8 awards to young people
1 centre refurbishment
10

13. James
Parker
friend in the frame
James Parker bumped into a group of
Knights members on a club night in Central
London. Intrigued, he went over to find out
what was going on...
My introduction to Knights was I was invited down to Knights to meet the
entirely by coincidence. I was in team and was immediately impressed by a
Leicester Square because of a place that offers young people who aren’t
work function one evening last year when I normally given a chance a safe, positive
noticed a group of young people enjoying and enjoyable environment.
themselves. It was clear though that this
wasn’t just an ordinary friends’ night out. It is the sheer potential of the members
that is most overwhelming. I didn’t want to
I went over to see what was going on and, just sponsor a charity - I wanted to make a
of course, it was Stu with the Inters. I was well-utilised investment and have the
so impressed by the vibrancy of the group chance to get personally involved. To be
that I had a chat with Stu there and then. part of a club that is so adept at helping
young people realise their skills and talents
I live in London and, while it is certainly a is something very special indeed.
great city, people sometimes have a rough
time. Knife crime is on the rise, and the I’m on hand for the management should
current economic climate is putting even there be anything my professional
more pressure on the socially experience can enable me to assist with
disadvantaged. and I’m helping fund the new website. But
my main contribution is to offer rewards-
From my perspective, this all means that based support for the young people when
places like Knights - places that offer an they go for job interviews or on to further
invaluable start in life for young people - study. Whether it be providing advice,
provide an even more invaluable business attire or laptops to help with
community service. In turn, offering coursework, I’m excited about
support to these places, in whatever form, working with Knights over the
becomes all the more important too. coming months and years.
11

14. JUN IOR S INTERS
Juniors is as exhilarating and vibrant as it has Inters continues to offer a wide and varied
ever been with an extra weekly session put on service for young people aged 12-15 and is
for young people aged 8-12. finding new ways of engaging local youth to
help maintain attendance.
With a team of young volunteers at the helm,
Juniors has had a buzzing atmosphere over the At times over the past 12 months attendance
past year: no two sessions have been the same. has been sporadic and the team has had to
work hard to find new proactive ways to
With a strong focus on ‘self’ we continue to strengthen its engagement both with existing
provide a range of stimulating and challenging members and prospective new members from
activities. Weekly attendance at Juniors has the local community.
ranged from 17-27 young people and,
encouragingly, the involvement of young girls is As a result we have recently started to see signs
on the increase. of real success in engaging a new group of
young people who might not normally have
We expect Juniors to grow again next year as come into contact with the club.
we broaden our work to encompass homework
support, ESOL (English for speakers of other
languages) referral for parents and young
people and a strong emphasis on building
confidence and self-esteem.
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15. SENIORS FOOTBALL
Zechiah has been coming to Knights for three It has been a year of change for the young men
or four years and has been one of the regulars who have regularly committed to football
at Seniors for just over a year. sessions.
Zechiah, like so many other young men who Daniel Morris has taken on the responsibility
come to Knights, could have easily found for the sessions, supported by Shem and CJ
himself seduced by behaviour which could have (two of our teenage workers). The team have
led to criminal activity. had fun focusing on developing ball skills and
footballing knowledge to help build a
Thankfully, things have panned out differently. competitive team.
Now a longstanding member, Zechiah is
becoming a positive role model for other senior The team have entered a variety of
members. It is really encouraging that Zechiah tournaments and have brought home some
has matured to appreciate his natural talents positive results. Rumours that the coach is
and skills, and this was recognised last year about to receive the dreaded vote of
when he was presented with a Jack Petchey confidence are wide of the mark.
Achievement Award for his significant
improvement in behaviour.
13

16. money
“OUR SERVICE CONTINUES
TO GROW - QUITE A
CHANGE ON 1999”
The organisations that have supported our
work over the last year include: Clapham
Park Project; Jack Petchey Foundation;
Elizabeth & Prince Zaiger Trust; Walcot
Foundation; Goldsmiths; YOF/ H4L;
Lambeth Children's and Young People's
The ink is not yet dry on the account book Services; Tudor Trust; Lloyds TSB; and BBC
and the auditor is still to cast his expert Children in Need. Without their support
eye over the numbers, but the details we could not have delivered such an
contained within this report accurately ambitious and successful range of services.
represent our financial position. The
details that follow relate to the 12 months At the time of writing, we are awaiting the
ending 31st March 2009. results of various bids we have submitted
for further funding. We hope that we will
Overall we spent £231,483 and received continue to receive the support of the
£249,539. Although this shows a healthy various organisations that have supported
positive variance, our funding is always Knights for many years now.
arriving at different times of the year and
some of the money already received I would like to take this opportunity on
relates to next year's expenditure. behalf of Knights to thank the many
individuals who made donations over the
Next year we expect our expenditure to year. In addition to the ‘cheque in the post’
break the £250,000 barrier for the first it is always encouraging to receive the
time as our service continues to grow - words of support from so many people
quite a change from just £35,000 in 1999. that have passed through the doors of
Knights over the past decades.
As this year’s Annual Report demonstrates,
the Knights service continues to grow and If you would like a copy of our audited
‘bear fruit’. Such sustained growth would accounts please do get in touch with us.
not be possible without the help and
financial support from our friends, John Saunders, Treasurer, began working with
partners and benefactors. Knights in 1976 as a Voluntary Youth Worker.
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17. Income
Expenditure
15

18. Raising Romania
Raisin’ Romania - a new project for 2009 - will see a committed,
passionate and skilled Knights team support a Romanian charity in two
distinct stages.
Stage 1
A team of members, TYLAP trainees and
leaders will participate in the 100 Mile River
Wye Canoe Challenge a the end of May. The
scale of the challenge - which will see all
100 miles covered inside of just three days -
will make grit, determination and blisters
the order of the day.
Each member of the team will be
responsible for collecting sponsorship as
part of a collective effort to raise awareness
and support for Integro Ministries, a charity
providing aid to Lunca Bradului, an isolated
Romanian village of 1,500 people with an
unemployment rate of 99%. Deprivation
doesn’t begin to sum it up.
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19. Stage 2
The second part of the project will see the
Knights team travel to Romania for two
weeks in September to work with Integro in
Lunca Bradului.
In that time the team will undertake various
tasks, including painting, construction and
building community vegetable gardens to
help the village build for a sustainable
future. It will also spend time getting to
know the local young people through
sports, arts and games.
Raisin’ Rwanda
Raisin’ Romania is not the first project of
its kind for Knights - back in 2007 we
took a team to Rwanda. For more
information on either project, or to find
out how you can support the Raisin’
Romania project, please visit us at
www.knightsyouthcentre.org.uk
17

20. TYLAP
TYLAP has recruited
100 young people
in 4 years.
In that time
8
have enrolled on university courses
Our unique training scheme, the Trainee
Youth Leader Apprentice Programme
(TYLAP), is four years old. 40
have gained an ONC level 2 in
TYLAP is an apprenticeship programme set Information & Community Education
up to develop young people into and
experienced, qualified youth workers. The
highly supportive programme prioritises
working with those young people who are
8
received a Foundation Diploma in Youth
less engaged by traditional learning or Work & Informal Education.
struggling with their personal
development.
And TYLAP has taken on much more - from
70
have been First Aid qualified and
offering young people housing advice and
supporting them in court to writing
hundreds of references and feeding people
in real need.
20
have gone into employment.
Advocates and mentors to many, TYLAP Most significantly,
has now worked with over 100 recruits,
producing not just a new, dynamic
hundreds
of young people from the local
generation of youth workers for the future community have benefited from TYLAP
but also positive community role models trained youth workers on placements
we can all be proud of.
18

21. KNIGHTS AT THE SUMMIT
On March 13th, local MP Keith Hill hosted “A new website to help youth
the first ever ‘Streatham Youth Summit’ organisations in Streatham will be set up
at the House of Commons for local as a result of the inaugural Streatham
voluntary community groups working Youth Summit held at Parliament.
with young people - including Knights.
Representatives from 10 different
Keith Hill MP organised the summit to give community groups were given the chance
local groups the chance to air their to air their concerns with Lambeth
concerns and to get a detailed view of the politicians, council officers, and police
state of youth provision in Streatham. It telling them the difficulties they face in
also provided an important networking running their organisations.
opportunity to kick-start greater
information sharing and potential new
The event was set up by Streatham MP
partnerships.
Keith Hill, and Labour’s candidate for
Streatham, Chuka Umunna, to find out
The event allowed Knights to cultivate a
what more can be done to improve the
relationship with Labour’s parliamentary
candidate for Streatham, Chuka Umunna. area - demographically one of the
We hope Mr. Umunna will remain a friend youngest parliamentary constituencies in
of Knights in coming years. the country.
That Knights was one of the few As a result Mr Hill and Mr Umunna
community groups invited to the Summit announced they would be setting up a new
is testament to the growing strength of the online “Streatham Youth Network” for
organisation and, in particular, the impact those working with young people in the
the TYLAP programme has had both in the area to communicate and share ideas.”
local community and in political debate. Streatham Guardian, 20 May 2009
19

22. Talking
About
Our
Regeneration
Local and central government are clearly
concerned about anti-social behaviour,
youth crime and young people not
engaging with education, employment
and training. There is also the very real
issue of the huge and disproportionate
impact of a tiny minority of young people
who find themselves drifting into what is
known as ‘gang culture’.
The challenge for the Knights Youth Centre
- and the objective at the core of what we impact on the Knights Youth Centre as we
do - is to provide such a fantastic mix of fully expect funding organisations to be
challenge, care and sense of ‘belonging’ overwhelmed as public expenditure
that all young people can join in and enjoy becomes ever tighter. We will need to
themselves without looking over their watch every penny and carefully look at all
shoulder or worrying about their ‘image’. our fund-raising opportunities (if anyone
One of the major changes we made over has a few hours a week spare to help us
the last year was to focus on the older age with funding applications please do get in
groups as part of our strategy to have even touch).
greater impact on the local estates.
The environment in which we are
Whilst there may be a pressure to develop operating is unquestionably changing. But
new initiatives to freshen our offer and some of the change is undeniably positive
attract external funding, there comes a and set to reshape the face of the local
time when we have to focus on delivering community.
consistency and quality, which is what
makes the difference in the long run. Anyone who has driven past the Youth
Centre recently would have been amazed
The economic downturn will also have an to see that the area next door has been
20

23. cleared – Arkwright House has completely launching our new website. As well as
disappeared. Clapham Park Homes, who providing a site for young people to access
are now administering both of the local Centre news and information on our
estates following transfer from Lambeth programmes, the site will also contain
Housing, are now embarking on a huge information and updates for parents and
modernisation and rebuild programme potential funding organisations. It will also
which will transform the area over the contain sections for Knights ‘alumni’ -
coming five years. It is an ambitious members and leaders past and present - to
rebuilding programme that has enormous post their Knights memories and keep in
potential for the area - we really have to touch with the Centre.
hope that the current economic downturn
does not damage its progress. Perhaps most significantly, the website
represents yet another step forward we
The next stage of the programme is to
have taken to broaden the ways in which
replace Arkwright House with a horseshoe-
we engage with young people positively
shape, seven storey modern structure. The
and on their terms. As participation
building, which will have association
tenants living alongside owners, has been activity can always be strengthened, the
designed to include the the most modern website will offer a facility for young
facilities and fantastic communal areas. people to provide feedback and post ideas
This new structure will eventually stand to help shape the service we provide them.
literally a few yards from the Knights Youth Hopefully the launch of the webiste will
Centre. Having a full scale building site give young people a way to engage more
immediately next door will be quite a readily than through our existing set piece
challenge in the short-term as we look at ‘participation meetings’.
countering the disruption, noise, loss of
light and any party wall issues. Keep an eye out for the new website at
www.knightsyouthcentre.org.uk.
We can now confirm that we will soon be
Looking to the future
Este van der Walt joined Knights in 2008
as Staff Training and Development
Officer through the REACH programme.
Este briefly talks through her new role
and initial impressons of Knights. coordinate the completion of an
induction pack to help new staff. Knights
“I’m absolutely delighted to be working is a fantastic organisation that makes
with Knights at what is a particularly great use of resources to expose young
exciting and challenging time for the people in the area to a wide variety of
Centre. My first responsibility will be to new life experiences.”
21

24. Passing on our thanks
Knights works with a BBC Children in Need
number of community Clapham Park Project
organisations, agencies and
funding partners. The Elite Dance and Drama
support of these Elizabeth & Prince Zaiger Trust
organisations - some of
Goldsmiths
which are listed on this
page - is absolutely Jack Petchey Foundation
invaluable.
Lambeth Arts Community Exchange
We would like to thank each Lambeth Children's and Young People's
Services
of our partners for their
support over the last year - Lambeth Primary Care Trust
we look forward to
Lloyds TSB
continuing to work with you
in 2009/10. Streatham Hill and Thornton Ward
Safer Neighbourhood Teams
Tudor Trust
Walcot Foundation
YOF/ H4L
Knights is also indebted to our network of ‘friends’. Our friends are a
diverse mix of ex-members and leaders, community acquaintances and
corporate partners. A list of our friends will be published on our website.
If you would like to become a friend of the youth centre and be kept up-
to-date with the latest developments or have any feedback on the
Annual Report, please email info@knightsyouthcentre.org.uk.
22

25. We would love to hear from you.
general enquiries
info@knightsyouthscentre.org.uk
TYLAP
coordinator.tylap@yahoo.co.uk
telephone
020 8674 4055
address
27 Streatham Place, London SW2 4QQ
website
www.knightsyouthcentre.org.uk

26. h
en t
tr
ou
Y
registered charity number 303282