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.