Our Events

This activity attracted many benefits to the children who attended for example:

This activity attracted many benefits to the children who attended for example:

This activity attracted many benefits to the children who attended for example:

This activity attracted many benefits to the children who attended for example:

This activity attracted many benefits to the children who attended for example:

This activity attracted many benefits to the children who attended for example: Development of important social skills The building of trust between each other and authority Development of sharing and caring skill Enhanced a sense of belonging Creation and development of new relationships Improved co-ordination and motor skills Improved health and wellbeing through the application of rigorous exercise Development of an understanding of themselves and others Learn to respect other opinions and the environment they are in.

Age range from: 1 years to 78 years old. An intergenerational Event which created a bridge between the young and the more mature person. The creation a safe environment in which all participants could interact as follows: • Sharing personal experiences through poetry and spoken word; • Sharing of life experiences through poetry and spoken word; • Exchange cultural nuances through food & refreshments; • Promoting and developing discussion on current affairs; • Importance of Role Models and Mentors. • interaction between very young and more mature involved the playing board games, cards, and dominoes • Quizzes • Sharing family morals and values • Dance expression – By The younger and more mature attendee Outcome: • We eradicated some of the invisible barriers to communication between young people and more mature people; • We created a safe environment; • We raised issues that affect our young people; • We demonstrated the ability to communication in various forms; • We enabled attendees to feel part of the community by their very participation in the event; • We were able to engage with third party NGOs already resident in Croydon during in the event planning thus forging closer working relationships which we will develop over the year longer term; • We were able to demonstrate the importance of role models and mentors for young people; • We were able to demonstrate that through life skills and experiences most mature people were already mentoring and did not know it. • We are able to have so much fun and laughter, both the young and more mature persons, that it enabled us to see we need more events were its neither them or us but us all together building solid communities through capacity building techniques. • Enabling each one to learn from the other and demonstrating that it takes a village to raise a child.

To equip younger members of the general public as to what to do in an emergency involving a casualty of any age. It will equip them to know what action to take in any emergency and enable them to learn about how to deal with accidents and injuries. Target Audience: Young people from age 12 to 60 years. Outcome: The course covered emergency life support procedures for adults, children and infants. • Communication and casualty care • Looking after yourself and the casualty • Adult, child and infant resuscitation • Treatment of severe bleeding and chest pain • Treatment of choking in adults, children and infants • Treatment of an unresponsive casualty.

The purpose of Drama as a form of therapy helps young people - • Explores unhealthy personal patterns of behaviour and interpersonal interaction • It encourages self-awareness, exploration and reflection on feelings and relationships • It provides opportunities for young people to learn new skills; • It initiates spontaneous exploration of personal issues; • It enables young people to experiment with new ways of thinking and behaving; • It offers non-verbal method of working • It makes use of all the senses • Make sense out of social and emotional difficulties The proposed Outcomes could have been: Relief from • anxieties • Depression • Low self esteem • Lack of confidence • Social and emotional difficulties • Lack of communicational skills. Unfortunately, these sessions were cancelled due to lack of take up amongst young people. Normally it can be difficult to speak about painful unresolved feelings around some sort of loss or trauma from our past or present. So drama therapy could have been a positive experience for attendees. Having established that we would not systematically drawn out any unresolved feelings but through the freedom of drama, the young person would have been thus encouraged to act out their own individual feelings over a three day period. We feel really strongly that a commitment to greater access to drama therapy should be developed by Reach Dem UK as a means of supporting young vulnerable adults reach their best absolute potential throughout their adolescent years.

To develop greater awareness amongst young people as to the benefits of good nutrition, which undoubtedly leads to healthier living in the future. Our session highlighted the following: • Some young people are unaware of the consequences of inadequate diets; • Healthier eating habits developed whilst young will stay with that individual throughout his/her life; • growth and development are accelerated during teenage years; • The intake of saturated fatty acids, salt and non-milk extrinsic sugars (added sugars) are above recommended levels; • A high proportion of teenagers have an extremely low intakes of some vitamins and minerals due to their diet; • There is a need for 60 minutes of activity every day.

On August 17 2013, we hosted a film screening and symposium entitled "Sodiq” demonstrating the danger of inner city gangs, as a preventative tool for young people. Background The documentary “Sodiq” follows the lives Sodiq Adeojo who dreamed of becoming a doctor and Sylvester Akpalara, who had a promising career as an athlete ahead of him. Five years later (2012), Sodiq was convicted of murdering Sylvester and is now serving a 30­year jail sentence. How does a boy with the aspirations of becoming a doctor find himself on trial for murder...? Sodiq Adeojo is a 20­year­old young man from Peckham who has been found guilty of the murder of Sylvester Akpalara, an 18­year­ old from Streatham on the 29th December 2010. In 2004, Sodiq (aged 11) and Adeyemi (aged 19) set up a football team for kids on their housing estate ‘to give them a different type of gang to belong to’. It won the local league for two years in a row, was a huge success, and led to Adeyemi gaining work as a talent scout for Millwall FC. Adeyemi began making this documentary in 2008 when the team was about to end as he left to go to university. At the time Sodiq was about to take his GCSE’s and embark on an academic journey towards studying medicine and becoming a doctor. In less than four years the life of this seemingly promising young man, albeit from a tough neighbourhood took a dramatic turn for the worse. Along with six other boys he was accused of murder but was the only one to be convicted. Sodiq’s hopes, aspirations and desires were documented in Adeyemi’s initial film called “Running The Line”. The purpose of this 60­minute documentary is to discover what the turning point was in Sodiq’s life and how this is microcosm of wider societal issues in Britain today. The UK National Film and Television School produced film provides the audience with privileged and unprecedented access to a hidden world that we only ever read about in the headlines. The film was discussed by British Parliamentarians at a House of Commons screening and discussion on the legal device of ‘Joint Enterprise’ in December 2013. Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, said: "The issue of joint enterprise is a complex one. As a strong supporter of civil liberties, but also as someone who has first ­hand experience of the problems posed by gang culture in urban Britain, I can see why the law warrants review.” Sodiq presents us with an opportunity to re­open the discussion, as well as debate other issues with the criminal justice system." Adeyemi Michael is the film maker.

In 2013, we started a food and clothing bank. We recognised a growing need for families to be able to obtain assistance often at very short notice. We worked alongside the New Testament Assembly in Deptford, South East London and were able to meet the needs of some vulnerable families. We also provided welfare rights assistance to those persons who did not know how to access certain benefits. Advice was supplied by welfare rights advisors and solicitors. Unfortunately, we had to place on hold this project due to our inability to have attracted sustainable funding to keep the project going. During the time in which it was operational we found there was a huge demand for welfare rights advice, without the need for long appointment times and also the provision of well needed food for families living in poverty. During this economic climate and the advent of Universal Credit, it is more than ever that we reach out to vulnerable families living in poverty.