Prospex win an award!

Last night we won an award from the Centre for Social Justice for our work.
It was a great and inspirational night and we will tell you all more soon including how we will use the money.

Young People feel demonized.

I was with a group of young people on Sunday who told me how they feel demonized because of the media.
They could all give illustrations of how adults have verbally had a go at them when they were not doing anything wrong.
In our work at Prospex it seems that it is not OK to be part of a group bigger than 3 and if you do it is assumed that you are committing anti-social behaviour.
The problems we are facing in our country are deep rooted and there is no quick fix solution but young people will live up to the expectations we put on them.
Perhaps that is where we need to take a good look!

Turning young lives around!

Earlier in the year we took four young people on a five day Outward Bound course in Aberdovey Wales. The experience took them out of their comfort zone and challenged many areas in their lives. Each of them discovered something new about themselves and they all made some significant life style changes as a result.
Last night I met one of the lads in Uniform when I asked about it he and a friend have joined the Police Cadets and they are both loving it. They are proud of the uniform, enjoying the challenges and discipline of it. It was fantastic to here them enthuse and see how the lad we had taken has carried on since his return to the Cally.
It takes courage to join the Police Cadets and go against the flow of your peers. We count this as a success and look forward to seeing him and his mate develop in the next few years.

Book of remembrance.

Prospex is hosting a book of remembrance for Ben Kinsella today 10- 4, Tuesday 10-6 and Wednesday 10 - 4. If you would like to sign it and leave a comment please just turn up.
You can find us at 334-336 Caledonian Road Islington London N11BB.

Ben Kinsella.

Our sympathies go out to the Kinsella Family and all those who knew Ben.
There really isn't words to describe how we and the community feel about his death.
Today we have shed lots of tears with lots of young people.

21 years of Youth Work.

Had the pleasure of attending a ball at the Waldorf Hotel hosted by the Rank Foundation celebrating 21 years of youth work and training. They started the main part before a starter with a presentation they had put together featuring our very own Maxine Johnson and many pictures of our young people. It was very moving and a great resourse. The Archbishop of York was the after dinner speaker and was direct and motivational. I will blog more on another day as it is now nearly 1 O'clock and I have a busy day tomorrow. But first a quote from Charlie Harris of the Rank Foundation: "We ignore young people at our own peril." more on that another day too.

Funding success.

Started this week with the great news of a funding success that will enable us to develop some youth enterprises offering accreditation and for some the opportunity to start their own bussiness. It means alot of prep but is very exciting so watch this space.