This article first appeared in the March 2020 issue of Enfield Dispatch.
We have started an initiative called Palmers Green Youth Provision (PGYP) at St John's Church, aiming to empower young people to learn important life skills and get involved in activities which will help boost their confidence and self-esteem. Giving young people a sense of "belonging" can help to prevent gang and knife crime, and we have discerned this as much needed in our community.
Providing support in three ways
PGYP is comprised of three elements, aimed at young people aged from 14 to 18 years. The first is a Friday afternoon session called Out of the Box — starting on 13th March — where young people can come after school to be safe and have fun with others. Every term we will offer a six-week life skills workshop, run by local community volunteers. Enfield Council is the initial provider, we will then have others come in to work alongside the volunteers that we have recruited.
Why "Out of the Box"?
O.T.B. stands for Out of the Box and describes what we all know - we can't squeeze anyone, especially not young people, into a box or label them. Everyone is their own person; an individual with a story to tell; with hopes, dreams and aspirations and at O.T.B. we aim to be able to provide a space for all 14-18 year olds to come together, grow, take ownership and have fun in a safe environment! It's a preventative measure to get young people off the streets where they can feel vulnerable.
The second provision is called Free Spirit Mentoring. We are in the process of training up volunteers from the local community to mentor young people, involving pursuits such as gardening or arts and crafts. This will be done in co-operation with other agencies and schools.
Finally, we are offering a support group for parents and carers of young people who are vulnerable and have got involved with gang and knife crime. This group will meet every two weeks.
No need to be a church-goer
All three of these elements will be run at the church, but our helpers come from all walks of life and backgrounds. You don't need to be a church-goer to attend. The idea is to bring the whole community together to help our young people be safe and make a difference. We have the support of local businesses and the police and all volunteers will have basic training and are DBS checked to comply with safeguarding regulations.
We are also very grateful for all the support and donations we have received from our local community so far. They say it takes a village to raise a child — in our case it is the wider Enfield community that is coming together to keep our teenagers safe!
This article was amended on 10th March 2020 to update the information under the heading "Why Out of the Box"?
