January
The Youth Charter started 2019 with a presentation at UNISON’s Black Members Conference which discussed the Windrush Scandal and the impact of knife crime on young black people.
This was followed with a Youth Hearing held by the Newham Youth Commission, co-chaired Geoff Thompson. The Youth Hearing allowed young people to be given the opportunity to discuss their experiences of youth crime and violence.
January culminated in the first Trustee meeting of the year.
February
Following a two-year consultation, the Youth Charter delivered a Social Coach Leadership Programme (SCLP) Workshop at the University of East London, with 300 students and staff participating.
The first Social Coach Leadership Programme (SCLP) Workshop at UEL proved to be a tremendous success with very positive feedback from students and staff. This provided the opportunity for the future delivery of SCLP programmes within UEL schools and courses to be linked to the university’s wider Civic Engagement programme, with the inclusion of local schools, youth clubs, community organisations and businesses.
This was followed by the delivery of the Bridgend SCLP workshop with 12 local community workers. Again, the feedback for this workshop was very positive, with potential for future SCLP training.
March
The Youth Charter Dame Mary Glen Haig Office of Sport for Development and Peace was officially opened at the University of East London’s Stratford Campus on 7th March 2019, by Lord Sebastian Coe and Baroness Doreen Lawrence.
“I am here today to support the Youth Charter’s 26 years of work and proposals to provide young people, especially those caught up through the lack of sporting, artistic and cultural activity, in the negative lifestyle choices that lead to drugs, violence, gang-related activity and, in some cases, extremism. The most powerful social worker is sport. We know that sport organisations create an anchor in young people and offer many more opportunities.”
Lord Sebastian Coe
The Youth Charter continued its work with the Commonwealth, delivering a Commonwealth Youth Leaders workshop and participating in the Commonwealth Youth Awards.
The Youth Charter also attended the Spirit of Salford Community Awards and hosted its 2nd Trustee meeting of the year.
April
YC Chair, Geoff Thompson, co-chaired a further Youth Hearing as part of the Newham Youth Commission at Education Links Free School in East Ham.
The 6th International Day of Sport for Development and Peace was held on 6th April, where the Youth Charter renewed its Global Call to Action for:
YC Founder and Chair, Geoff Thompson, came out of retirement from competitive Karate and went back onto the square after 30 years, at the age of 61, to heighten awareness of the ongoing youth violence on the streets and raise funds for
the charity’s ongoing work and to Fight for the Streets.
YC Chair, Geoff Thompson, also chaired and presented at the 2nd Combatting Gangs, Violence and Weapon Crime Conference, which was held in Manchester.
May
The 2019 Why Sport “Creating Active Communities” Conference was held in Manchester, with Geoff again chairing the conference.
The YC Community Campus Model and Social Coach Leadership Programme was presented at the General Federation of Trade Unions Biennial General Council Meeting at Holiday Inn, Wembley, where Youth Service Cuts, Youth Violence and the Young Lives Lost was discussed.
The Youth Charter attended the 1st UN Habitat Assembly: UEL Side Event, with the YC Community Campus discussed as a potential model for the delivery of the UN Habitat’s Safe Spaces programme.
The Youth Charter also visited the UTC Docklands project team who are designing the the ‘Float Like a Butterfly Social Coach Leadership Programme’ as an interactive digital learning experience.
The Abang Ashu Sports Academy, from Cameroon, kindly reported back on about how well received and utilised the Youth Charter’s sports kit donation had been by the academy’s players of all ages.
The Youth Charter hosted the first Stakeholder group meeting for the East London Community Campus, bringing together local oraganisations to work in collaboration and partnership and provide young people with Somewhere to Go, Something to Do and Someone to Show Them.
June
The Youth Charter participated in the Global MindED Conference in Denver, with Geoff leading a panel discussion on “Global Higher ED Equity: What can countries and continents learn from each other”.
A delegation from the South Africa High Commission and the University of the West Cape visited the Youth Charter’s new Office at the University of East London, with a view to establishing a partnership project and a Community Campus in Cape Town.
Two days later saw Edward Mayes and Paul King of Silvertown visit the Youth Charter Office where they were briefed on the Community Campus Model and met with Commonwealth Youth Leader Maisha Reza.
The Youth Charter attended the Sudan Future Conference at the International Maritime Organisation’s headquarters in London’s
Docklands, presenting the Community Campus.
The month ended with the Why Sport “Get Wales Moving” Conference in Cardiff, chaired by Geoff Thompson who also presented the Community Campus and Social Coach Leadership Programme.
July
The Youth Charter attended the SOAS University of London President’s reception, where YC Chair, Geoff Thompson, met with Graca Machel, wife of the late President Nelson, Baroness Valerie Amos, VC of SOAS, and Rt Hon Nomatemba Tambo, SA High Commissioner.
The Youth Charter also hosted the second stakeholders meeting for the East London Community Campus and attended the 7th Anniversary Games at the London Olympic Stadium.
August
The Youth Charter delivered a Youthwise workshop with young people attending the Equip Boys Summer School in East London.
September
The Youth Charter participated in the Human Development & Capability Association Conference “Connecting Capabilities” hosted by University College London.
David Hemery CBE DL, 1968 400 metre hurdles Olympic Champion visited the Youth Charter Dame Mary Glen Haig Office for Sport for Development and Peace to Olympic legacy programmes with Geoff.
The third Youth Charter Trustee meeting was also held in London.
October
YC Founder and Chair, Geoff Thompson was named in the Green Park top 100 BAME Business Leaders in the UK.
YC presented and participated in the PACE (Parent and Child Empowerment) Conference in East London.
YC presented #HE4Good proposal at the CUC (Committee of University Chairs) Autumn Plenary at The Royal Society in London.
YC presented the East London Community Campus at East London Business Alliance 30th Anniversary event linked to their
The ongoing challenges faced by young people in East London were highlighted by the tragic murder of Baptista Adjei, 15, who was stabbed to death on his way home from school, outside Stratford Shopping Centre close to the University of East London.
November
YC Founder and Co-Founder, Geoff and Janice Thompson, were interviewed on Colourful Radio about their sporting and social achievements in Karate and with the Youth Charter.
YC attended the final Newham Youth Commission meeting at St Bonaventure’s School,
which has allowed young people to have voice in the fight against youth violence in East
London.
The Youth Charter took part in the UNICEF Youth Conference prior to hosting the YC Gala Dinner, sponsored by Ballymore Group, held at The AcerlorOrbitt in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, raising over £20,000.
December
YC Founder, Geoff Thompson, chaired the 3rd Combatting Gangs, Violence and Weapon Crime Conference, at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, where he also presented the ongoing work of the agency.
This was followed by a visit to Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, China where Geoff presented the YC Community Campus Model.
