Croydon unites to promote Choose Your Future

Encouraging young people to make positive life choices is again the focus of town centre events that enter their third and final week today (Monday 26 February).

The events champion the goals of Croydon’s Choose Your Future campaign, which supports young people’s aspirations, encourages them to make the right choices about their futures and highlights the dangers of carrying a knife.

Croydon’s Youth Engagement Team will be in North End every weekday (Monday 26 to Friday 2 March), from 2-4pm, encouraging young people to make the most of the specialist support and advice available to them, such as careers advice and mentoring.

They will also be raising awareness of the consequences of carrying knives, and showcasing the range of activities young people can take part in across the borough, which include football, youth forums and arts projects.

The arts projects includes a workshop run by ArtHalo, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to make art available to all.

The workshop will run outside the Whitgift Centre main entrance on Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28, 3-6pm, and everyone is invited to pick up a spray can and use their artistic skills to help create a temporary wall of anti-knife crime messages.

Victim Support will be in Centrale’s main atrium (opposite Debenhams) on Wednesday 28, from 1-5pm, with information to help those who have either been a victim of crime, or those looking for tips on how to better protect themselves.

Also on Wednesday, from 3-5.30pm, Croydon College will be working alongside Croydon police, to invite everyone to make a personal commitment to not being involved in violence.

The public will be asked to show their commitment by making a hand-printed pledge in Whitgift Square (next to Starbucks).

The borough’s young people’s outreach and counselling service, Croydon Drop In (CDI) will also be in town on Thursday 1 March, from 3-6pm, outside McDonald’s, North End, offering advice and advocacy for young people from the CDI talkbus.

Councillor Hamida Ali, cabinet member for communities, safety and justice

“This three-week programme has really demonstrated how here in Croydon we’re working together as a community to help and support our young people.

“So many services, organisations and volunteers have been involved, and I hope this proactive and united community response will make a real difference – highlighting to our young people the positive and alternative choices they can make.”

The programme has been supported by many partners, including Croydon Business Improvement District (BID), Croydon College, CDI, the council’s youth engagement team, Croydon police, local faith groups, London Ambulance Service, RISEgallery, school pastors and Victim Support.

It continues until Friday 2 March. For further details, visit http://bit.ly/2Bgb6eG

2021-08-20T15:47:33+01:00 February 26th, 2018|Recent news|