benbell

A blessing for National Youth Work Week

May God who is youthful in creativity and passion,
His devotion to friendship and Her challenges which cause us to see new ways of approaching the familiar
Remain with us.          
That we may continue to out grow our uniforms
And in our growing pains may know comfort and companionship.

"I've got nothing to do"

Half of the parents of 11 to 16 year olds could not say where their children are outside of school hours, says a report on "home alone" teenagers.

Such unsupervised youngsters, without access to youth clubs or creative activities, are at risk of involvement in crime, says the report by 4children.

I'm continually impressed by the work of 4children and their ability to get these important stories into public consciousness

looking for JJ

took a group of young people to see this last night - it was brilliant.

You can't change what happened...no matter how much you think of it or cry, you can't change a single second of it...the only thing you can change is the future.

Six years ago, three children went to play near a lake on the edge of town. Later that day only two of them came back.

Following her imprisonment for killing her best friend, Jennifer Jones has been released into a new life under a new identity. The ensuing media-frenzy has everyone asking ' where is she now?'

Alice Tully knows exactly where JJ is - and what happened that day six years ago.

Despite her dangerous, violent and sad childhood, Alice is happy with her loving boyfriend and is getting ready to go to university. But now, with everyone looking for JJ, the past threatens to return and rip her new life apart.

Based on the controversial and multi award winning book, Looking for JJ is a gripping story of suspense and intrigue, with a fast moving narrative for the MySpace generation.

Looking for JJ is on at the Unicorn Theatre until the 25th November

 

youth space

The bad news …

4children has published a report today saying
‘New statistics show that as schools prepare to break up for the holidays, over 1 million teenagers could be wandering the streets because there is nowhere else to go.’

The Make Space Youth Review report was launched by Lily Allen and presented to Prime Minister Gordon Brown

Launching the report today, youth icon Lily Allen said: “I want to see a new start for teenagers in communities where they have nothing to do, nowhere to go and nowhere to call their own."

The Good News ….

Yesterday I was presented with a cheque for 40,000 by the Master of the Worshipful company of Grocers. The money will go towards the building of a space for young people within St Stephen’s church hall’s. Young people will be able to drop in and get advice, chill out, take part in focused group work looking at issues such as anger management and sexual health and do their homework using a new Mac computer suite.

I have been blown away by the generosity of the members of St Stephen’s church who have given over £40,000 and the Grocers and Clothworkers companies who have supported our vision to provide local young people with somewhere to go and something to do. The grocers company in fact gave us more than we asked for as they want us to increase the specification for the furnishing and equipping of the space. 

We won’t be open this summer but from September young people will have a ‘home’ in the local community.

Mustafa Hulusi

I've posted about Mustafa Hulusi in the past and i'm still a great fan. I got along to the Max Wigram gallery last night for the private view of Mustafa's new exhibition. It's well worth checking out if your in London. It on until the 7th July.

Notorious for his unsolicited fly-posting campaigns in London’s East End, Hulusi moves within the realm of advertising that uses misquoted visuals involving anything but geometric patterns, flowers or fruit. Equally existing in the gallery and the public sphere, these are distributed in formats like billboards, light box displays or paintings, an activity enticing audiences into a relation of recognition and desire in wanting to know more about these visual surfaces.

fancy working with me?

 

Islington,London

Youth Worker  (female)

Salary Based on experience and JNC Pay scale + 6% non-contributory pension

Our innovative, exciting, grassroots Christian youth work project is looking for someone to be a key part of its growth and development .

If you’re passionate about getting alongside young people in the church and the wider community, then St Stephen’s Youth Work Project has an exciting full-time opening for you.

St Stephen’s Youth Work Project is part of an Anglican church in Islington, London. We aim to promote the social, emotional and spiritual development of local young people. We’ve been working hard at this for more than 10 years, running centre-based and detached sessions, and offering advocacy, listening, mentoring and personal support to a diversity of young people.

You will be assisting our Senior Youth Worker in existing sessions, taking particular responsibility for work with young women. You will also have the opportunity to grow new areas of work. You will be a committed Christian with good people skills, a compassion for young people and a vision for active participation in the local community.

Ideally, you will also have experience of youth work in an urban community and a formal qualification in youth work.

For further information, copies of the job description and details of the application process please contact Ben Bell at St Stephen’s church office: 020 7226 7526; youth@stsc.org.uk

This post is subject to an enhanced CRB clearance. Sex Discrimination Act exemption section s.7(2)(e) applied.

Respect Young Mums

Respect to the YWCA for creating the Respect Young Mums Campaign.
an extract from their site ....

We are making young mums a priority because our work with them has shown us the   disadvantages and prejudices they face.

Our campaign will challenge your attitudes to young mums. Along with the general public, we'll ask politicians, journalists, doctors, teachers and midwives to face up to their words and assumptions about young mums.

By joining our campaign, you can add your voice to the call for more RESPECT for young mums and for better chances in life when it comes to issues like education, income, services and childcare.

This strikes me as being an excellent piece of work. I know from my work with young people that there is a great deal of prejudice towards young mums. I was recently told the story of a teenage mum visiting a town centre in Kent who was spat at and verbally abused for being a young mum.

Mental Fight

The Ash Wednesday service at St.Paul’s contained a reading from ‘Mental Fight’ by Ben Okri. Although I’d heard a few things about this work I’d never read it until now. I’ve bought a copy for myself and it’s amazing. This poem is reflective and visionary, it carries a challenge that resonates with the subversive nature of the Kingdom of God.

 

 A couple of quotes,

Ben Okri’s epic poem mental Fight is an intimate song of rage and restoration. It speaks to each new moment and each person. Like sunlight or lie pain. It is an anthem to our ascending dreams, and a hymn of inspiration.

No contemporary writer has raised greater passions than Okri – the Guardian.

Ash Wednesday and all that jazz

I’ve just been to a fantastic Ash Wednesday service at St Paul's Cathedral The setting for the service was ‘A Little Jazz Mass’ by Bob Chilcott. The service included a number of fantastic Jazz pieces and was followed by a recital of Jazz and Blues.

This service linked brilliantly with the new Slave Britain exhibition. The exhibition is well put together, informative and provoking – well worth a visit.

Belonging

I’ve just been with some young people to visit the exhibition ‘Belonging' held at the Museum of London .

LondonThis thought-provoking exhibition challenges assumptions about refugees and explores the contributions they make to London

Find out what it means to be a refugee - to be forced to leave your country and to build a new life in exile.  Hear powerful personal stories and see objects, photographs, film and art that bring home tales of loss, adaptation and achievement.

The exhibition is on until the 25^th February as is well worth checking out. It’s got loads of stories to listen to on headphones so is really good for people who aren’t up for reading much (like most of the young people I know). The exhibition seemed to be a good tool to help young people explore and tell their own stories of seeking refuge.