There or nowhere - St. Andrew's Wharf Youth Project, London, England - Brief Article

For A Change, Feb-March, 2002 by Anastasia Stepanova

Nearly 200 young people a week pop into St Andrew's Wharf Youth Project, in the east of London, intrigued by the variety of events and programmes run by its volunteers and social workers. Anyone from eight to 25 years old comes here from all over Docklands.

As soon as you enter the project centre, which is built in the shape of a boat with the mast in the middle, you see a wall covered with press cuttings and certificates. Members of the project have become London champions, regional champions, national champions in sports--great role models for others. `When young people come with a sceptical attitude they see that they can become one of these kids too,' says Edwin Lewis, the project coordinator.

The project's outdoor and indoor activities are reflected in the long patchwork of photos along the walls. Girls' football training, homework clubs and discussion forums on current issues (drug problems, social misbehaviour) take place weekly. There is also a `learn to drive' programme.

As well as encouraging young people to be proactive in life, the project creates multicultural awareness. For instance, international meals, arts and crafts events and face painting accompany soccer or pool finals. It also runs a summer programme, which provides a whole list of exciting activities: trips to Disneyland in Paris and to theme parks, go-karting, bowling, cinema and theatre. The selection criterion is good behaviour. `There are no free trips around here,' says Lewis.

`Be there or be nowhere' is one of the club's mottoes. Over 50 per cent of club members come from socially vulnerable family backgrounds. Parental participation is very low. `Some parents don't even know where their kids are,' says Lewis.

The building, which is only large enough for two pool tables, started out as a workout facility for two people at a time. It was part of the community strategy of the London Docklands Development Corporation, a government organization, which came to regenerate the area. Later, at the local residents' request, it was turned into a youth centre and in its second year Lewis was employed by the borough to run it.

Lewis, 44, already had experience of working with young people. In his previous job, he had created a girls' football team who are now well-known as the Arsenal Ladies. `Initially it was a youth club team I was coaching.' When he moved to Docklands, the girls gave him all their trophies to take with him. `It's a good push for guys to see what their female peers have achieved, and for girls too for it undermines a common stereotype about them,' says Lewis.

His strong motivation was to turn that empty and dull place into `a cheerful venue, collaborating with young people'. Recently they have redecorated everything in bright colours. `It's good to work somewhere where you create the agenda together with the young people.'

They have started to issue a newsletter, St Andrew's News, which is circulated among the locals to keep them informed. Eventually Lewis wants the young people to produce it on their own initiative so that `it's not about me doing it but them doing it'.

The centre is equipped with a couple of computer game machines, a video and two small internet rooms--all of them, like everything else on the site, paid for through fundraising.

There are six staff currently involved in the project and a couple of volunteers. `They could be any age but we tend to attract mainly young people, maybe ex-members, university students,' says Lewis. When they do specific projects they call on former club members to share their skills.

Although physically the place is too small to do the things they would like to do, it's blooming with creativity and fun. `We are small in size, but we've got big ideas,' says Lewis.