30 minutes with… Felix Holman - Hampton resident and Director of Programmes at StreetInvest.

A Twickenham based charity is launching an ambitious awareness campaign and fundraiser that will see three people cycle across Canada, coast to coast, in a world record 13 days. They want people across Richmond to get behind them, and join them on their journey by organising more events to cycle a total of 55,000 miles (the distance between all their projects). I caught up with Felix Holman from StreetInvest, whose twin brother is also one of the cyclists, to find out more.

So first, tell us a bit about StreetInvest

We’re an international charity, based in a little office on London Road. The core of our work is to provide a trustworthy adult for every street child, through training and support of local people across the world. We currently have nine projects on four continents running in countries including India, Sierra Leone and Togo.

What do you do?

We see children as having capacities, resilience, and potential. We help others to share this view and it makes us proud to be able to help them to achieve this. In a sense we are supporting and training people who help young people to find their path. We also want to protect them from abuses whether physical or abuses against their rights, however it is also about dialogue and ‘signposting’ to the next stage in their lives.

I guess we’re in the business of professionalising services for young people, because we believe they are entitled to high quality support. As a result we believe we are resolving social issues, longer term.

So what is it about StreetInvest that sparks your passion, over other charities?

I have worked with street children for over 10 years. What draws me is the personal experiences of meeting street children, who are ignored by their communities at best, mistreated at worst. As a mother I found it impossible to understand how a child in need could be ignored. What I want for a street child is what I'd want for any child.

As you talk to me your sense of pride comes over very strongly?

I share the pride that StreetInvest has in being connected with street children wherever they are in the world, and to be doing something real and practical to help. Also, I believe we have identified a real gap in working directly with street children. Other NGOs offer a lot of help through shelters, refuges and relief, but we are offering something unique.

What relevance does StreetInvest have for children and young people in the UK? 

The context is different, but the child is the same. It’s about how we respond to the child – starting with an acknowledgement of their rights, skills and capacities. Many young people here experience issues of low income, choose risky behaviours, and are at risk of harm. We want to inspire street workers to work with young people to build on their capacities, rather than seeing them simply as beneficiaries of services.

We’ve trained workers in the Chiltern Hills and Edinburgh - volunteers from a drop in project through to professional social workers. We are looking to deliver training to schools and youth groups.

So what big projects have you got going on at the moment?

On Saturday 12^th April, the International Day for Street Children, we are launching ‘Join Our Journey’. Three supporters who passionately believe in our work are undertaking a mammoth cycle trek across Canada, and we want people from across the borough to do their own bit by getting sponsored to “virtually” join them on part of their journey. We want everyone to ride at least a mile anywhere, in any way they can and raise at least £1.

It's a fundraiser and awareness raiser, which is why the launch is on International Day of the Street Child where street-connected youth organisations link up to highlight their message and celebrate their work.

How can schools, groups or others get involved?

‘Join our Journey’ has been designed to make it as easy as possible for others to get involved - whether companies, schools or individuals.  We will be running a number of events directly (including a Majorca ride in September) but, ideally, a school or local business could organise their own event to include their students, staff and/or customers.  This could be anything from a sponsored cycle round the playing fields to a Lands End to John O’Groats marathon or a fixed bike in the front room with a set target mileage to cycle by 12^th April 2015. We hope that everyone would be sponsored at least £1 per mile (£1 is the cost of putting a trustworthy adult in the life of one more street child for one more month in the poorest countries of the world).Links to either the countries of the children, whether Africa, India or UK and the issues that matter to them, such as shelter, food, education and livelihood are possible too. And both StreetInvest and the cyclists are available to give presentations, training and motivational speaking opportunities. Anyone interested can get in touch on info@streetinvest.org

As we were finishing our coffee, Felix left me with a quote from a street worker that she said really struck a chord with her, and sums up what she feels about the work she is so passionately involved with.

“What you hope for is that some young people you meet on the streets will end up looking back one day on the past and on their youth, thinking ‘In the end, all things considered, I think it all went well’. I don’t think that an entire life can be determined by ONE single factor. I think there are many elements that make up a complex system which can, in the end, lead to a positive outcome. Every puzzle is made up of numerous pieces. I hope that in my work as a street worker, I manage to strengthen the capabilities of young people and that I might be a small piece in someone’s puzzle.” 

From a Street Workers’ workshop in Sweden.

Community Links : From dawn until dusk...

I had the pleasure of hosting two meetings this week, in my Village Areas. Two very different meetings, at the extreme ends of the working day.

On Tuesday morning I was up at dawn to meet with local business people from the Village area of Strawberry Hill, over eggs, bacon and coffee at the Golf Club. What's the Community Links Officer doing running business breakfasts you might ask? Well, once upon a time.. Back in  December '13 I ran a community meeting for residents in Strawberry Hill (SH for here on..apologies for the shorthand). One of the outcomes from that meeting was a desire from the community to see more support for local businesses, and to see them more involved with the SH community.

At the meeting we heard that there are thought to be over 100 small businesses working from home in SH. The Council's Economic Development Team is keen to support the development of business networks across the borough. Building this on to my interest in seeing how all local people could do their community bit, I see this as an excellent fit for Community Links.

I was really pleased to welcome 14 businesses to the meeting, on top of which I also received keen apologies from a further six. Everyone I spoke with was grateful for the opportunity to come along and introduce themselves, and were keen to see what happens next... Of course what happens next is up to those that are involved in the group, but my colleagues Susan and Sean and I will be on hand to support them realise their ambitions.

During more regular hours, Lynette attended a 'Dementia Friends' Information Session at Twickenham Library.  Here's what she had to say about it:

"I would really recommend everybody taking part in this free short session (approx. 1:30hrs).  It was so informative and really made you think what it is like to have dementia, and how this can affect your daily activities.  It is a cleverly put together interactive session that offers tips and ideas on how you can interact with people who suffer from this horrendous disease, who you may meet when you are out and about.  I came away with more insight and a much clearer understanding of how I can help make these people's lives just that little bit easier, and feel more confident in carrying on with public life.  My pledge is to spread the word about this truly wonderful training throughout the communities of Richmond."

This short video tells you all about it:

Later in the week I hosted an evening community meeting in St Margaret's, which brings together quite a mix of local people who all seem to have one thing in common - they care passionately about St Margaret's. There is a growing challenge though - acknowledged by some of the regular attenders as well as myself, and that is that each meeting feels like a 'first meeting'. New ideas and new faces are very welcome, but it also means there isn't a sense of progress. The 'original' members were unable to pursue their original project idea, but have agreed to look at others. I'm happy to continue to work with this, but I fear that good will and passion will soon begin to run low if there aren't some tangible projects to get stuck in to. 

What we need in this group is someone who is willing to take on the role of 'lead'. Perhaps, somewhat ironically, this is currently falling to me.. But it cannot be me as I am neither local, nor is it a long term solution! I am looking forward to carrying out the main action of this meeting though...organise a 'green walkabout' of St Margaret's, for local residents to point out opportunities they have seen that have potential for 'greening up' either through a flower bed, patch of grass or a hanging basket.

Until next time!

What was Mr Motivators' key to success?

Another fantastic week draws to a close, and when I take a moment to look back at what I have been involved in, in some way or another, I do wonder quite how it all fits in! Monday I find myself in St Margarets. I organised an open, public meeting, where the invitation was extended to anyone that had an interest in the area. Nothing contentious to discuss, which is often a strong driver for people to come to public events. I was really pleased to welcome a group of people who turned up simply because they love the area they live in, and would like to contribute in some way, if they can. Oh..well, there might have been

some cynicism that the council was ‘up to something’, but that was laid to rest pretty quickly!

Tuesday I joined the discussion about how the boroughs plans to commemorate World War 1 are going. There is a great opportunity for local people who have family lineage connections with the Great War, as well as sharing stories, education and simply reflecting on the sacrifices that were made.

Mr Motivator was
unavailable for comment

Later in the week I attended the launch of Energy Smart Richmond, the borough initiative which should help residents save energy (and money), and help the borough reduce its carbon footprint. It’s not easy though, and as has been a bit of a recurring theme this week, I ask myself… what will motivate people to do something like this?

When you look at the theories of motivation, of which there are many, there are often two basic questions to address. What will doing X cost me? What will I get out of doing X?

To invite a stranger in to your house, spend time with them, process the paper work, then endure the period when work will be carried out on your house is a fairly big personal cost. But it is only a short term cost. The long term benefits...saving money on energy bills, reducing the carbon footprint, perhaps making a better world for our children’s children ... are supremely worthwhile long term gains. 

However, when it comes to motivation, humans are notoriously bad at giving in to the short term costs/wins. Anyone that has tried giving up smoking, or started a new gym regime will attest to this, I'm sure. If you start to throw in easy reasons for people to not opt-in (Will the installer do a good job? How can I trust them? Etc) then encouraging take up will be tough.

Energy Smart Richmond will be a great scheme though, and the Council’s partners, ClimateEnergy are very aware of some of these challenges. Residents can be involved as beneficiaries, street champions, or installers. This is what excites me about this initiative – it can be very ‘Richmond’ orientated. Local trades people are encouraged to do the work, and can receive training to do the best job, local people are to be recruited as street champions to spread the word to their neighbours. This approach has already been demonstrated with exceptional results in Ham, by the Low Carbon Zone Street Champions. Altogether a more people centred approach, I felt.

As an end note, the Community Links Coordinator is NOT about to update his wardrobe with multi-colour spandex. Just for the record.

14 amazing youth organisations on your doorstep that you should know about

Through my job I often hear about what people love about the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames, and also what people feel is missing, or not so good.

One of the themes that seems to crop up is provision for young people, and we often hear there's nothing for young people to do. That's not strictly true.. 

In the spirit of Buzzfeed, the Community Links Team have pulled together a list of 14 awesome charities (in no particular order) that are based in the borough, who have children and young people's interests at their core.

 

The Basement Door 

A monthly music venue that encourages and supports local talent as well as established bands from far and wide.  Open to all people who love live music from age 14 upwards, this gives young people an opportunity to explore their interests in music in various ways, either on the technical side, or performance related.

Tree House Learning

Based in Ham and run by a local mum that wanted to give her children the chance to experience the joys of play centred, outdoor learning. From building dens, to finding bugs - it's the kind of fun people think of when they start by saying "when I were a lad.." 

Fans include Kaitlyn (3), Cameron (5) and Zac Goldsmith (39).

  

Otakar Krauss Music Trust 

From a home-made studio at the bottom of her garden, Margaret Lobo has been providing music and voice therapy for children and young people with physical, psychological, learning, behavioural and emotional difficulties since 1991.

 

Challenge Network

A national charity with a team based in Richmond Borough. They offer 15-17 year olds a life changing experience that includes weeks away from home, and the opportunity to make a difference where they live.

Groove Academy

Since 2004, Groove Academy has run a community-music school for musicians aged 11 to 16 years. Students come from various musical backgrounds and abilities but the leaders do expect to see good pitch, rhythm and musicality. Students work within a broad spectrum of musical genres and explore cultural, ethnic and historical backgrounds to songs, including the rationales of artists. Pretty neat!

StreetInvest

Ok - so StreetInvest aren't directly working with young people locally. But, from a small office in Twickenham, StreetInvest works across the world with locally based organisations. They train professional and committed workers, who serve as trustworthy adults in the lives of street children and by contributing to the investments the workers and the children need to secure a future.

  

Castelnau Youth Centre 

Tucked away in the heart of the Castelnau estate in North Barnes, the Youth Centre is a vibrant local hub for young people from the estate and beyond. Offering something nearly every day of the week, youngsters aged 11 to 19 have access to youth clubs, sports, games, homework support, art and crafts as well as leadership skills and personal development. Infants and Juniors also have a mixed programme including cooking, arts and crafts, toys, sports, computer and board games. Keen to promote healthy eating and encourage tasting of new foods, at each session the whole club sits down and eats a meal together which has been cooked by members of the group.

Girls Art and Nature Club

Run by local resident Pam, the Girls Art and Nature Club is a free club for girl’s age 7 - 14yrs, on Saturdays from 11:00 – 12:00 in Kew. As the name suggests, the girls get a chance to learn about the environment and plants, insects and bees and all the animals that use the field as their home. Any budding artists can also enter local art competitions and exhibitions.

Teddington Baptist Church

A dedicated Youth Leader leads young people’s groups (Live Wires (school years 2 to 5), Rock Solid (school years 6 to 8) and Youth Club (school years 9+)) which meet bimonthly in term time. This also includes their Sunday Group for children of school age and above, and their Youth Home Group which meets in a home on Wednesday Evenings.

MTV Youth 

MTV is a youth club for children in Hampton aged between 8 and 14. The club is temporarily meeting in Linden Hall. The club is run by volunteers from St Mary's Church in Hampton together with the Metropolitan Police and other local volunteers. It aims to create a positive environment for young people to hang out together, have fun and develop their skill through sport.

Twickenham Brunswick

Tucked away on the western edges of Twickenham, and a bit of a hidden gem. Renovated and partially rebuilt in 2013, this long standing club is a regional focal point for amateur boxing and table tennis. It also offers other sports and activities for young people of all ages.

Woodcraft Folk With groups in Kew and Twickenham, the Woodcraft Folk are active in the borough but  often unheard of. They're a bit similar to the Scouts, led by their members and completely run by volunteers. They run weekly sessions for ‘Woodchips’, ‘Elfins’ ‘Pioneers’ and ‘Venturers’.

Scouts, Sea Scouts and Guides

We couldn’t  complete this list without mentioning the long running Scouts and Guide groups that speckle a map of Richmond borough. Whitton alone has three Scout groups, Twickenham has eight. There are too many to list here, click on the title links above to find your nearest group.

So who've we not mentioned...? Feel free to drop us a line to tell us about any groups not listed above!

A flood of community support

Across the country we have seen some incredible images of the devastating effects that the persistent rain has caused to villages, towns and parts of the city.

As I write, from an office in Twickenham, there are nervous mutterings relating to the Thames and bank-side settlements. Shepperton has already suffered a flood, with many people affected.

My father, a Somerset man who normally lives in a community that has dominated the news all week, has found himself homeless - as the water on the Somerset Levels has crept upon and consumed the village I grew up in. It really has been a tough time, but I have been absolutely blown away by the community response to the situation.

On-line, via a facebook group, there has been a mobilisation of community support, resources and activity unlike anything I have witnessed before. It has reached the stage where the group has received more food donations than it can actually distribute. Locals are pouring seemingly endless support to those affected. Even when there has been some blame throwing, finger pointing, or other expression of frustration and anger, the community response has generally been one of re-uniting and focussing on helping those in need, rather than looking for someone responsible.

I've heard locally about similar community responses to those in need - and should the worst happen in Richmond, I believe that neighbours will not let each other down. There is something about a disaster that seems to bring out the best in people - something of what people call the Dunkirk spirit. It has united people in a way I would not have imagined - aid has come from groups as diverse as Khalsa Aid, a Sikh charity based in Slough.

May you all remain safe, dry and warm this coming week.

(If you want to keep track of the latest flood news/updates - visit the Council's Flooding Webpage)

The wonder of a ponder!

This week, Lynette Lawson-Tyers is captain of the blog. She wanted to talk about a project she is involved in, working with Barnes Community Association and the Barnes Town Centre Manager.

"Just who is responsible for the creation and sustainability of thriving town or village centres?  Is it all down to the Local Authority?  

Barnes has grabbed the proverbial bull by the horns and leapt into action, with Emma Robinson, Barnes Town Centre Manager at the helm!

Back in Oct’13 over 300 people participated in the Big Barnes Ponder. The Ponder was an opportunity for residents, councillors, community groups and businesses to come together and create a Shared Future Vision for Barnes.

Comments, ideas and aspirations were mulled over, resulting in a focused list of key issues such as the river wall, connecting the common to the river and supporting local shops and businesses. 

I felt really priviledged to be a part of this day, the atmosphere was buzzing and I was amazed at the range of inspirational ideas that residents came up with, such as replacing some of the concrete flood defence wall with glass so that you can see the river. (JA: Something like this..?)

Since then, Emma and her team have been busy harnessing all of the local enthusiasm to establish Action Groups to manage these emerging projects, enabling Barnes to retain its vitality and continue to make it a strong, stable and desirable place.

Town Centres are not only a focal point, but are central to an area's sense of identity. They belong to and should support everyone, and their management is central to the prosperity and well-being of the whole community.

So it would appear that in truth, everyone is responsible for their town centre becoming and remaining a thriving hub of community activity.

I’m really looking forward to seeing Barnes continue to develop, and the impact the Ponder and all these fabulous ideas will have.  If we can all keep up the momentum, then some of these projects will happen, and others will be a work in progress.  The challenge is, of course, to keep the momentum up!  Exciting times are ahead for Barnes."

From Halifax to healthy facts...

Another mega-mixed bag of Community Linking this week. Most prominent in my mind is the meeting I've just had with StreetInvest, a Twickenham based international charity. I heard how three brave and inspirational (read: lovely but slightly barmy) chaps intend to do a trans-Canadian bike ride in 13 days as a fundraiser. That’s nearly 300 miles a day. Many of us in the room were struggling to comprehend the feat, let alone consider the commitment to training to achieve it. Good luck to them (apparently everyone says this, sounding a little sceptical!). I'm sure this blog will feature news of their progress in the future, especially as the charity want to work locally with organisations in the borough.

We didn't meet Richard this week.

An eon before this (well, Monday) I met with a resident who I felt exemplified the kind of person we'd like to meet more often. She has a great idea, an overflowing caldera of passion, and I feel she has hit on something that will do well in the borough. Elsewhere she would be called a 'social entrepreneur' - a Richard Branson-esque figure where profit is community benefits, and everyone is a shareholder.

For the remainder of the post, I hand over to Mamta Khanna, for her account of some training she undertook this week:

We did meet Mamta though...

I was privileged to participate in Richmond’s LiveWell Community Health Champion training run by Richmond CVS and the Hounslow and Richmond Community Health Trust. I say privileged because I was struck by the commitment from my co-participants: all regular people who, out of an interest in reaching out to others within their community, were committed to building their knowledge and skills.  

We explored public health and came to what I consider the core of the training: understanding and addressing health inequities. Richmond, one of the richest boroughs in London, has children living in poverty. Life expectancy in certain village areas in the borough is less than in the more affluent areas. What has Community Links got to do with health, specifically health inequality?  This definition gave me clarity:

“The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organised efforts of society.” (Definition of Public Health, Sir Acheson, 1988)

Improving public health is about society organising its efforts to bring good to all within it. If that isn’t community linking, then what is? Responding to health inequities requires science empowered by the art of encouraging change within people. Community Links practices this art and can be part of the solution to address inequity: engaging people and groups, igniting their connections with where they live and with those around them, and encouraging them to reach out to opportunities to improve their health and overall well-being. I am excited about working with the Health Champion volunteers to link up residents to opportunities.

Thanks Mamta! Hearing about Mamta’s experience made me re-read an article from the Evening Standard, on the Government’s ‘nudge unit’, or Behavioural Insights Team. I love the idea of this, although I know some people find it uncomfortable as it can be seen as manipulative. I don’t think we’re talking the same league here for Community Links (or perhaps we are...? Comments below...), but through our brokerage and linkages, we can support small, positive adjustments and improvements to local activity, through positive methods. From this, I think we all have benefits to gain. 

By the way, is that ANOTHER biscuit you are reaching for....?