Croydon Council is providing £50,000 for local neighbourhood projects working to keep young people safe this summer – adding to its biggest programme of summer activities for Croydon’s young people in recent years.
The council is supporting five local organisations working closely with young people, up to the age of 18 and at higher risk of youth violence, through targeted funding from the Mayor of London’s Violence Reduction Unit.
These grants were specifically made available to local neighbourhood projects not already in receipt of council or other mainstream funding. In line with the council’s Community Safety Strategy, support was also targeted towards the highest risk areas of the borough for violence against young people; Croydon town centre, London Road and New Addington.
This funding will help reach almost 300 children across the five successful projects through the summer months. The successful projects are:
- 3E Scholarships LTD (London Road) – Arts workshops for children from 7- to 16-years-old throughout the month of August, with a focus on inclusion, safety, and community. The project will create three art installations exploring these themes.
- Bright Futures 4 all (Broad Green) – Summer holiday club for children aged 6-15, with a particular focus on looked after children and those with special educational needs. Activities will include sports, performing arts, crafts, and science and nutrition sessions.
- Paxton Academy (London Road) – Summer camp run together with local organisation, Mula Cake, providing fun activities and food. The project will also include a buddy system whereby young people will team up and help younger participants.
- Rap Therapy (Town Centre) – Rap Therapy sessions with a focus on young people’s mental health and expression. Children aged 13-16 will create and record songs on topical issues, developing key transferrable skills such as teamwork, communication, and creative thinking.
- Solidrock Academy CIC (New Addington) – Activities, sports, and mentoring targeted at children between 6- and 18-years-old who may have had difficulties with schools, parents or the police. Participants will also draw up a plan of next steps to put new skills and knowledge into practice beyond the summer holidays.
“School holidays are under way for Croydon’s young people, and I’m pleased we can keep building on our bumper activity programme with funding for five extra local neighbourhood projects. It’s important we get behind local organisations who know their communities better than anyone, supporting our young people and keeping them safe and engaged during the summer months. I look forward to hearing how our young people get on with all the extra activities on offer.”
Jason Perry, Executive Mayor of Croydon
