Youth Work

Introduction

At Oasis we work to transform individuals and communities by promoting inclusion and confronting injustice, motivated by the life of Jesus. This is our core belief here at the youth and community team. The team was set up in September 2006 working in partnership with local organisations to provide quality care for the community and its youth. While working with both full time staff and volunteers, we aim to allow every young person to achieve their full potential.   The team is based in the Academy in the Hub office.

“This year we’ve seen lots of young people develop and mature in different ways and ultimately that is why we do what we do.  It’s great to see them thinking beyond their current situation.  I am very proud of both the young people and youth workers” Kat Simmonds

The Team:

Kat Simmonds Youth and Community Team manager

kat.simmonds@oasisuk.org, 07703 317675

Kate Smith Youth Development Worker – Enfield Island Village

kate.smith@oasisuk.org, 07703 317670

Bianca Kirby Youth Development Worker, Youth Engagement Panel Coordinator

bianca.kirby@oasisuk.org, 07703 321567

Lewis Pearson Volunteer Coordinator

lewis.pearson@oasisuk.org, 07825 765546

Threesixty team (Gap Year Programme)

Matt Sadie

Marcus Smith

Hannah Gray

Youth Centres

All our youth centres operate a drop-in club policy, where anyone aged 11(and at secondary school) to 19 is welcome to come along.  As well as the drop-in clubs we also have additional workshops, and a varied programme of school holiday activities.

Weekly Programme:

Enfield Island Village youth centre (behind Tesco on EIV) Based in the heart of Enfield Island Village, the youth centre is a perfect place for the local teenagers to spend their evenings. Every Tuesday and Friday the youth centre is open offering a drop-in centre for 11-19 year olds. It offers them everything from table tennis and a dance group, to a specialist music studio, and so can cater for all.

 Kettering Estate (Kettering Hall, on Ordinance Road) The Kettering Youth Club has games such as ‘Play Station’, table tennis, and table football, or the opportunity for chill out and chat. Highlights for the club have included Christmas parties, cooking projects and evenings spent in the local Albany Park, which the young people have all really enjoyed.

 Holiday Activities – At Oasis we believe that our work should not stop just because school does and so we offer a wide range of activities, projects and workshops during the holidays. This ranges from fun trips to Brighton, Thorpe Park and canoeing to workshops involving music, dj-ing, first aid, and graffiti art. We also do practical courses on mechanics and beauty which can lead to apprenticeships and further job prospects.

 Volunteering-There’s no way we would be able to do the work we do without the commitment and input of the volunteers, and we are so grateful to those that offer their time to make the work happen. This year we’ve had two main categories of volunteers- full time volunteers who are part of the Oasis programme ‘Threesixty’ and local sessional volunteers.  Threesixty is the Oasis gap year programme for those aged 18-25 to work in an Oasis Hub in the UK, such as Enfield, for either 6 or 11 months. They get involved in the community, working in the schools and youth clubs, making a positive impact on those around them.

 “It’s been exciting to come on board with Oasis Enfield and see the difference that volunteers are already making in the lives of young people. The potential to increase this influence is driving us forward” Lewis Pearson

Youth Engagement Panel (A Metropolitan Police Project) - The Youth Engagement Panel was set up in 2008 in light of the spate of youth violence and worst of all murders that took place in and around Edmonton in the preceding years. The Panel consists of young people and young adults of various nationalities who reside in the local community, all of whom have received training to enable them to hold drop in advice sessions and workshops at various locations throughout the borough. Oasis is the employer of Bianca Kirby, Youth Development Worker and Y.E. Co-ordinator, who works alongside the police and young people t make the project happen. There has already been some fantastic results, with a real buzz around the Y.E.P.

“The Youth Engagement Panel has developed at an enormous rate and they have suppressed expectation and demand. They are also delivering workshops, running assemblies and are trained in conflict resolution.” Bianca Kirby

 Partnerships- Our partners are really important to us, and we believe that these partnerships are one of the key successes to our work.  These include: London Borough of Enfield Youth Service, Metropolitan police, Enfield Island, Youth and Community Trust, Christian Action Housing, “V” Volunteering, Enfield Volunteering Centre, YOFE Enfield, Oasis Enfield and Children Centre, E.I.V. Residents Association, Y-Gen.

“The arrangement that the EIYCT has with OASIS is proving that the benefits of a partnership is greater then the sum of the two individual organisations. Our partnership with OASIS is going from strength to strength and I would particularly like to thank Kate Smith for her enthusiastic and talented running of our Youth Centre and Kat Simmonds for the overall contribution of her team in Enfield.”

Gary Walker, Trustee, Enfield Island Youth and Community Trust.  August 2009

Trustee, Enfield Island Youth and Community Trust (EIYCT)

 "London Borough of Enfield has worked with Oasis for more than 4 years now to improve and develop further provision for young people in the Enfield Lock area. This has extended to include support for activities at Bounces Rd.  Together we have seen the work grow and succeed...Much additional work has gone in to a rich holiday programme at every school break (including half terms).  Work within the Academy has also thrived with plans to develop this further in the forthcoming year. There are also plans to pilot a new club on the Albany school site.  Oasis staff work well with the council in a mutually supportive environment."

Ken Birrell Youth Services Development Manager,

Enfield Council