Building Young Brixton, a consortium of six Lambeth based charities and social enterprises, has successfully secured over £850,000 from the Mayor’s Young Londoners Fund. The money, paid over three years, will provide 10,500 hours of support and programmes to over 1,000 young people.
The consortium beat off competition from other London councils, charities and housing associations to secure the funding for young people in the Central Brixton wards of Tulse Hill, Herne Hill, Brixton Hill, Ferndale and Coldharbour.
Consortium members are: High Trees, The Baytree Centre, ML Community Enterprise, Indoamerican Refugee Migrant Organisation (IRMO), Ebony Horse Club and Spiral Skills, working together as Building Young Brixton.
Building Young Brixton says it is proud that this innovative way of working has been recognised, and the funding will make sure that resources are targeted at some of Brixton’s most at-risk young people, preventing young people being affected by or engaged in youth violence.
Services delivered over the next three years, include: targeted coaching programmes in schools and community, support services for young women and girls; estate-based after-school provision; social action programmes; sports and wellbeing activities; and careers education programmes and employability support.
Margaret Pierre, director of High Trees, said: “Building Young Brixton are absolutely delighted to have received this funding. Working together in this way allows us to achieve so much more than we could alone, offering opportunities that suit the interests, aspirations and needs of the young people we engage.”
Caroline Guarnaccia, chief executive of The Baytree Centre, added: “Our team of six organisations has worked tirelessly to get to where we are now as a strong force for good in Brixton. The funding will allow us as a unit to roll out even more innovative and effective programmes to bring about change in young people’s lives.”
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “By working with communities and giving young Londoners meaningful things to do, I am doing everything I possibly can to help ensure they make the right choices and do not follow the wrong path at such an important time in their lives.”
Cllr Lib Peck, Lambeth Council leader, said: “This is brilliant news for the young people in our borough who are most in need of support. It backs the council’s key priority of working with the community to tackle inequality and ensure that all of our young people can access the huge opportunities in Lambeth, and so achieve their full potential. The size of the award is a testament to the strength, diversity and commitment of the local voluntary sector, and I now look forward to working with Building Young Brixton on realising their important aims.”
