An international Christian peacemaking charity has appointed two youth workers to help its work in Brixton.
Richard Asomaning will be responsible for community-based work for CHIPS on estates in and around Brixton.
He has a degree in criminology and criminal justice and has worked with young people affected by domestic abuse at the Victim Support charity.
South Londoner Rishan Walker will be a part-time youth worker, supporting Richard in the charity’s growing work with schools. She also runs a dance organisation to empower young people to reach their potential and boost their mental health.
CHIPS was founded by barrister Roy Valvocoressi to work on the conflict in Cyprus in the 1960s. Paul Maxwell-Rose, its co-director of programmes said: “The CHIPS team has lived and worked in the heart of Brixton for six years, helping to build peace in the community through a varied programme of cross-estate youth work, partnership with schools, and community-based activities.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Richard and Rishan to the team. Both South Londoners, they have the relationship-building skills and youth experience to help us take CHIPS to the next stage of its growth and peacemaking work in Brixton,” he said.
The charity is participating in The Big Give Christmas Challenge, the UK’s biggest match funding campaign. For seven days, from midday Tuesday 3 December until midday Tuesday 10 December, The Big Give offers people the opportunity to have their donations doubled while matched funds last.
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CHIPS was first invited to Angell Town by the Reverend Les Isaac OBE, of the Ascension Trust – and the pioneer in Brixton in 2003 of the Street Pastors movement – to establish a peacemaking project in response to youth violence there.
It also backed Ashton Gibson and his organisation The Melting Pot, which provided hostels and counselling for young Black people in Brixton in the 1970s.
