On a cold winter night in Peckham, the wind howls outside the Damilola Taylor Centre, where the sound of rain hitting the glass roof overshadows the basketball game happening inside. Despite the harsh weather, a group of teenage boys, along with youth workers from the Active Communities Network running the ‘My Ends’ program in Southwark, are engrossed in an intense game.
Sammy, a 14-year-old, mentions that it took him two buses and an hour to get to the center but emphasizes how it has positively impacted his life and provided a sense of protection. Each teenager present that evening is aware of Damilola Taylor’s tragic story and how it continues to resonate with their own fears.
Peckham’s Labour and Co-operative MP, Miatta Fahnbulleh, highlights the lack of safe spaces for young people, sharing a poignant encounter with a girl expressing her sense of insecurity outside of school and home. Fahnbulleh, also a minister in the Communities department, aims to ensure that every child in Peckham is within a short distance of a youth service by 2035.
The government’s new youth strategy, launched by Secretary of State Lisa Nandy in Peckham, focuses on investing £500 million to enhance youth services nationwide, including the construction and renovation of youth centers and the establishment of ‘Young Futures Hubs’ for career and mental health support.
Fahnbulleh stresses the impact of austerity on young people’s loneliness and the disappearing shared spaces that once fostered a sense of belonging and safety. The Co-op Party echoes the importance of providing safe communal areas for youth as part of its Community Britain campaign.
In Peckham, initiatives like MyEnds Southwark strive to counter negative influences on young people and offer them a purposeful environment. Participants express gratitude for the opportunities provided, emphasizing the positive changes in their attitudes and behaviors since joining such programs.
Looking ahead, Fahnbulleh is determined to fulfill her commitment to ensuring accessible youth services in the community, recognizing the profound impact it can have on young lives.