North Benwell Youth Project, Newcastle
North Benwell Youth Project (NYPB) is based in an area of west
Newcastle, which has high levels of multiple deprivation particularly in unemployment and crime. The project seeks to provide new experiences and opportunities to broaden the horizons of young people, many of whom have never been outside their local community. By opening up new possibilities the project seeks to give hope and to empower young people to be responsible for their actions, engage with the community and to look forward to their future. The young people NYPB helps tend to be disadvantaged young people aged 8-25, who do not attend school on a regular basis and have child protection and drug and alcohol issues.
Through its delivery of informal education young people have been empowered to plan and organise activities that will facilitate their own educational and social development. This form of detached youth work helps meet the needs of the young people who have been labelled as “hard to reach” and has been deemed the most effective method to build relationships with those who are not accessing mainstream support.
The community is reaping the benefits of the work that is being done in
North Benwell by the project, “young people are seeing themselves as something positive for their communities the same young people who were involved in crime, vandalism and antisocial behaviour.” Says John Derisi, Project Co-ordinator of the project.
NYPB is currently developing and raising awareness amongst the young people about the growing diversity of cultures and ethnicities in their community. The project is “educating and re-educating” them about the cause and effects of their perception behaviour, attitudes and actions by celebrating different cultures and faiths, having a shared vision for better community living.
“Church Urban Fund has been a major player in our success, without their input we would not be here”, says John Derisi whose role is being supported by Church Urban Fund, to ensure that young people in North Benwell are achieving their full potential and improving their life within the community.
Fast Facts
- 24% of those living in the area are children under sixteen compared with 20% in
England as a whole.
- It’s the third most deprived area in
Newcastle and ranks 36th out of 8414 in
England as a whole.
- The unemployment rate in the area is 14%, which is almost five times the national average of 3%.
Source: National Statistics