Chief executive of Barking and Dagenham's Future Youth Zone, Gavin Evans, speaks about how to help young people be successful in this month's column for the Post.
Last week we took an excited group of young people to a nearby outdoor activity centre to push them outside their comfort zone.
As we travelled back along the A13, I was reminded how close Canary Wharf is to Barking and Dagenham. A place many people associate with promise and ambition but for many young people feels like a world away from their reality.
It got me thinking about all the ingredients young people need to be successful.
A caring home life, strong education and positive opportunities are all key aspects that help young people thrive.
However, I believe that to help young people achieve great things and be ambitious about their futures, the key ingredient is unconditional belief!
It’s incredible to see a young person grow in confidence when they know they have the support of the people around them.
Belief is important even in times when young people face challenges or make wrong decisions – that is just part of growing up. Young people need to know they can dream big and chase their ambitions, and we have a part to play in encouraging them.
People and organisations can show their belief in young people in different ways.
For the government and local authorities, they can show their belief in young people through legislation, policy development and investment in youth services.
The Youth Zone shows our belief in young people by ensuring that the facilities and support provided are modern and fit for purpose. However, to make the biggest impact on the lives of Barking and Dagenham’s young people, we need to show them they have the belief of the whole community.
This could be anything from volunteering some time each week to support young people, helping to spread positivity about all the amazing things young people get up to or taking on a sponsored challenge to raise some much-needed funds for local groups and charities.
We’ve got a sponsored abseil from the top of Youth Zone coming up in a couple of weeks - find out more at futureyouthzone.org/support-us/abseilforfuture/.
If we can all get behind young people and show them that they have our unconditional belief, I’m certain that all of our futures will be in great hands.
Anyone interested in our work, get in touch via enquiries@futureyouthzone.org
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