Minutes:
Millwall Football Club
Richard White from Millwall Football Club, informed the meeting that the club had run Friday night football sessions at JAGS for the last 7 to 8 years, and thanked the school for making the space available. Funding had been secured to continue running the sessions. Nick from Millwall FC said he had started out as a participant in the programme, but was now employed as part of the coaching programme which Millwall FC was funding. Jamie, a current participant in the sessions, told the meeting that the sessions provided great opportunities for young people, including going on to learning coaching.
Red Thread Youth Club
John Poyton from the Red Thread Youth Club informed the meeting that the club had been started 17 years ago by parents, and that it was involved in many projects, for example sessions at the Paxton Green Clinic which offered specialised services for young people, such as skin, diet, mental and sexual health advice, and advice on substance abuse. Following on from the success of their work at the Paxton Green practice, King’s A&E department had asked the group to deliver a young people’s violence project. The group worked hand in hand with other providers. Tim, a youth worker from the project, explained that the group was operating mainly out of the Greendale scouts’ hut. This provided a safe place for young people to meet and was open to all young people. Various activities were on offer: games, art workshops and cafe facilities. He also thanked JAGS for offering up a space to run the group’s arts workshop, and drop-in lunchtime support. www.redthread.org.uk
NOTE: At this point, Councillor Michael Mitchell joined the meeting.
Dulwich Youth Community Council
Representatives from the Dulwich Youth Community Council reported back on the issues the Youth Community Council had identified in their area:
The youth community council proposed the following measures address these issues, and to make things better in general for young people in the area:
• Street lighting should be improved
• Self-defence classes and personal alarms should be offered
• Girls sports clubs for beginners’ and other levels were needed. These should be accessible and not intimidating.
• The library should be better advertised, and more events and tuition should be offered there
• Courses for example workshops in public speaking and independent living skills such as cookery, should be offered
• The area needed free, larger events which brought the community together, like the Lambeth country show
NOTE: At this point, Councillor Lewis Robinson joined the meeting.
The representative of the Youth Community Council informed the meeting that they met every second Tuesday at the Belair Recreation Centre.
The meeting heard a comment from the floor that there were larger scale events happening in the area, like the Christmas cracker event. There would also be an event in the spring, and young people should be involved in planning this. In response to a question from the floor about the closure of the youth club at Dulwich Grove Community Centre, the chair said that councillors had tried to get other providers to come to the area, like Red Thread and Millwall FC, and were providing information to groups on where to find funding. The meeting heard that reduced cost exercise classes were offered by Fusion, the company which ran the council’s leisure centres.
The chair informed the meeting that a question about bus service provision in the south of the borough would be put at the Council Assembly meeting the following evening, and advised the Youth Community Council to put in a Cleaner Greener Safer bid. The meeting also heard that East Dulwich Safer Neighbourhoods Team had free personal alarms to give out.
Radio King Online
William Akon from the organisation told the meeting that the station had been on the air online since 2009, and that it got a large number of hits from around the world, due to the specialised content which included music and speech, such as RKO Question Time and radio drama. Based at Kingswood House, the organisation was keen to see the building turned into an arts and performing arts space. The organisation also ran courses for young people to learn radio skills such as editing, presenting, radio production and public speaking at key stage 3. There was much uptake of this by schools all over South London. In answer to a question, William said that the organisation could produce vox pops for a future Community Council meeting. The meeting heard that the organisation could also apply for funding from the Community Council Fund.
Safer Routes to school
Laurie Johnston informed the meeting that the organisation had been born out of the campaign to retain the crossing patrols in East Dulwich Grove. Since securing the temporary continuation of the crossing patrols, the group had also taken part in other actions such as getting Olympic athletes involved in local road traffic awareness events at Alleyn’s playing field. They were currently campaigning for better lighting in Greendale, putting together a “safer routes to school” map to include Bessemer Grange, and gearing up for a renewed campaign for the crossing patrols to be retained as funding would run out in 2014.
In answer to questions and comments from the floor, the representatives of the group responded that they had contacted all schools in Village and College wards. They were looking to expand their activities to East Dulwich ward, and were happy to raise awareness about cycling on pavements.
The meeting also heard that councillors would mention the group’s work at the next evening’s Council Assembly meeting, and that Southwark offered free cycle proficiency courses.
The chair thanked all the presenters for attending, and encouraged them to speak to each other and network during the break.