THE VINCE HINES FOUNDATION

In Association With

BECDF Local Community Development And Support Network

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Partnership On The Street

(A Report  On Innovative Street  Work  At Nights Among Children And Young People  Age 13-18 years, In The London Borough Of   Hammersmith And Fulham)

June 1999 - August 2000

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The Vince Hines Foundation

Celebrates 25 Years Of Achievements: 1975-2000

 

Management, Administrative And Support Services

The Vince Hines Foundation

Springside House

84 North End Road

London W14 9ES

Tel: 020 7603 9974. Fax: 020 7603 9918.

E-mail: cmass@ubol.com

Internet: http://www.ubol.com/

Charity Reg. No.  269681. Established 1975.  All rights reserved © 2000. Price £50.00

 

Index                            Contents

 

1       Name of Programme, page 5

 

2       Contact Address, page 5

 

3       Legal Status, page 5

 

4       Duration of Project, page 5

 

5       Management Body, page 5

 

6       Project Working Committee, page 5

 

7       The Background, page 5

 

8       Social Deterioration, page 6

 

9       Project Target Area & Social Make Up, page 7

 

10     Project Objectives, page 9

 

11     Strategy To Achieve Objectives, page 9

 

12     Partnership On The Street, page 11

 

13     Target Group Location, page 11

 

14     Factors Contributing To Children And Young People On The Streets, page 11

 

15     Profile Of Target Group, page 12

 

16     Number Of Children And Young People Targeted, page 13

 

17     Service Delivery Methods, page 13

 

17.1                      Phase One - Night Cruise, page 13

 

17.2  Mentoring, page 14

 

17.3  Off-Road Motor Bike Training, page 15

 

17.4  Funds For Provisional Driving Licence and CBT - DL 196, page 15

 

17.5                      Sports - Foundation Eagles FC, page 15

 

17.6.                     Job Brokerage And CV Writing, pages 15-16

 

18       New Work Planned, page 16

 

18.1.         Reliability And Initiative Training, page 16

 

18.2.         Music  And Video Workshops, page 16

 

19.                        Number of Hours Beneficiaries Enjoyed, page 16

 

20.                        Contacts With Other Agencies, page 16

 

21.                           Finance, page 17

 

22.                          Monitoring And Evaluation, page 18

 

23.                          Conclusions And Recommendations, page 18

 

23.1.         Conclusion, pages 18-20

 

23.2.                     Recommendations, page 20

 

                             Appendix A: Bibliography of Current Street Words

 

Appendix B: Charter Of Service Users' Rights And Equal Opportunity Policy

 

Appendix C:: Project Photographic Display .

 

Partnership On The Street

(A Report  On  Innovative Street  Work  At Nights Among Children And Young People  Age 13-18 years, In The London Borough Of Hammersmith And Fulham)

 

Name of Programme:  Partnership On The Street

 

2.      Contact address:

 

Management Administrative And Support Services

       The Vince Hines Foundation

       Springside House

       84 North End Road

       LONDON W14 9ES

       Tel:  020 7603 9974

       Fax: 020 7603 9918

       E-mail:cmass@ubol.com

 

3.  Legal Status: Registered Education Charity No. 269681. Established 1975

 

4.  Duration of Project: June 1999 to August 2000

 

5.  Management Body:

 

The Vince Hines Foundation, Sports, Leisure and Recreational Committee

 

6.  Project Working Committee and Staff Team

 

Horace Lashley— Educationalist, Lecturer in Youth And Community Matters, University of  Reading/Project Chairperson,

Clifford Parris— Social Work Manager/Vince Hines Foundation Chairperson

Dr Deng D. Akuany— Consultant/Sociologist

Yishibah B. Israel—  Psychologist

Maquada Butler— Lawyer

Dr Vince Hines— BECDF National Director, Project Fieldwork Researcher and Co-ordinator

Dr Rudy Mohammad—LCDSN Representative/Health Advisor

 

Staff  Team

Callistus Igboanugo— Administrator

Delia Damso—  BA (Hons) in Community  & Youth Studies Student, University of Reading

Wayne Fleary— Youth and Community Worker

Donovan Brown —  Driver

Sydney Roberts— Driver-Project Worker

Sandra Thorpe— Voluntary Worker

Omo Igwaegbe— Student/Trainee

Yohannnes Demmelash— Artist/Voluntary Worker

 

7.  The Background

 

THE VINCE HINES FOUNDATION, Community Education and Training Service, was founded in 1975, in London, England, by Dr Vince Hines, an African, born British,  in Jamaica, the Caribbean, who lived in the United Kingdom since 1962. The Foundation was founded in response to pressing  social needs among young people in London. The Foundation is a non‑governmental organisation (NGO) and registered as a national education Charity, at the Charity Commission.

 

The Charity's early years saw pressing social difficulties among disadvantaged youth, particularly on the issue of temporary homelessness. Youngsters were leaving home in search of their independence, with knock on effects, resulting in the lack of proper training and skills. This generally leads to high unemployment, crime and imprisonment.

 

After a short period of social support by the Foundation, the young people were able to organise themselves and settle down to normal lives. The Foundation's slogan in 1975 was (and still is) 'SELF‑HELP'. The average age of a beneficiary at the time was 17 years, mostly male, many of whom were new arrivals from the British Commonwealth. They were experiencing 'culture shock'.

 

8. Social Deterioration:

 

Today, the media and social researchers are ever reminding members of the wider public about the current social difficulties of children and young people, inner cities residents, who are torn by poverty, HIV virus, AIDS, drug misuse, truancies, school exclusions, youth crimes, unemployment and homelessness.

 

During the 1970s and 80s, the Foundation did not have to deal with HIV/AIDS, and today’s high levels of school truancies and exclusions, drug misuse, youth crimes, youth unemployment, homelessness, single parent families, mental illnesses, and a significant and continued flow of refugees.

 

The Foundation’s Trustees had learnt much over the years about community development at the grassroots, and the pressing needs of the poor and disadvantaged in our inner cities.

 

The Trustees recognised that, in order to continue providing culturally sensitive and effective services for members of the Community, those services must be relevant to current needs

 

In reviewing current needs in 1994, the Foundation Management resolved to continue the work of the Charity. A Ten-Year Development Plan was adopted, in order to bring the Foundation’s work to an even higher level of effectiveness. The Foundation’s organisational structures were re-organised, along Community, Educational  and Training direction.

 

 This Report, 'Partnership On The Streets', is the result of one of the Foundation's innovative and dynamic intervention project among the poor and disadvantaged, as we move into the 21st century.

 

9.      Project Target Area and Social Make Up

 

In their proposal to the Government, applying for 'New Deal for Communities' status, members of The North Fulham Community Partnership, Steering Committee, of which the Vince Hines Foundation is a member, gave a summary of  the pressing social issues in the areas which need to be addressed:

 

 

Worklessness

 

High levels of unemployment coupled with inequalities in the labour market

 

Lack of local employment and training infrastructure, in particular "first-rung" provision, with main services remote and unresponsive

 

"Cycle of decline" in workless and poor households coupled with low motivation and aspiration

 

Low levels of skills and educational attainment

 

Health

 

High levels of drug and alcohol misuse, mental health problems, depression and teenage pregnancies

 

Significant level of clinical conditions relating to unhealthy "lifestyles" Social conditions impacting on practice delivery

 

Inadequacies in quantity, quality and accessibility of specialist referral services

 

Crime

 

Very high level of street crime

 

Deep local concern about drugs and related crime Poor quality design in public spaces

 

High levels of racial harassment and racially motivated crime

 

 

Education

 

Low levels of attainment particularly at Key Stage 2

 

Children attending a large number of schools which experience high levels of free school meal entitlement, EAL needs, high mobility and dramatic increases in refugee children

 

Social conditions impact on attainment Lack of family support structures

 

Community, Self-Help and Participation

 

The local community infrastructure is weak

 

Levels of participation in community activity is extremely low and barriers to participation are significant

 

There is limited community development activity supporting existing voluntary effort

 

Very low levels of participation by black and ethnic minority people and few black and ethnic minority community organisations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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