The OK CLUB, NW LONDON & MARAKON EMPLOYEE CLUSTER

Lighting, furnishings and sports equipment for youth club

PROJECT PARTNER

As with most areas in London, Kilburn suffers from the problems of homelessness, vandalism, low incomes and high crime rates, poor housing and unemployment.

The Carlton Vale Estate in South Kilburn is the oldest and largest high priority area in Brent. The social and welfare needs of its residents are immense. The area, one of the most ethnically mixed in London, has a large population, around a quarter of whom are children and young people. More than half of the residents are single parent families living in, or under, the shadow of concrete tower blocks. For them this estate, in all its diversity, is home.

PROJECT BACKGROUND

The Oxford Kilburn Club was founded by students of Oxford University in 1958 and the first clubs started during 1961. The purpose of the Club is to serve the local community by providing a programme of activities to meet the physical, educational, social and recreational needs of the young people and their families living in and around the Carlton Vale Estate. The work is supported by local churches, and the Club has an important role in the life of the area. The project is run by full-time youth and community workers who are assisted by a team of part-time volunteers to help run the programme of activities.

PROJECT AIMS

There are three age groups within the Club structure - Juniors (8-11 years), Inters (11- 14 years) and Seniors (14+). Club nights are tailored to meet the differing needs of these groups and include sports, arts and crafts projects, games and cookery, to name just a few. The Club is looking to expand the activities on offer to the growing number of young people who use the club’s two floors and hall. New sports equipment is top of the young people’s priority.

The Hall/Gym is a great indoor space for sports, games, shows, and other activities for every age group they work with. The hall is also available for local community groups (eg, ladies aerobics and karate for young people). In this way, the whole community benefits from the space. The hall is lit by florescent strip lights, but many of these have become very dim or have stopped working altogether. This means the hall is now quite poorly lit, especially for the evening clubs.

Another aim is to create more space for youth/children’s work by moving one of the staff members out of his office. This room would now provide a space for young people to go and chat quietly and relax during the club sessions. There are often over 50 people on club nights using the building at the same time, and the atmosphere is often highly charged and intense! A designated quiet room for relaxation would allow the young people to take some time to relax and in a more calming environment. This room will also be used to hold one-to-one interview and confidential mentoring sessions with young people who require them. The club delivers the Government’s ConneXions program and employs a Personal Advisor who will find this space invaluable to their work with the young people.

HOW MARAKON EMPLOYEE CLUSTER HAVE HELPED

The money you have given through the Besom has been used to purchase new lighting for the hall, a variety of sports equipment for table-tennis, volleyball and badminton and furnishings (sofa, arm chairs, cushions and rugs) for the new soft room. These items will make a tangible difference to the lives of the young people who use the club, making them feel special and highly valued.