Cedars Youth Drop-In Centre and Cafe

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Our vision

To provide a centre that will be well known to the youth community and recognised by them as THEIR SPACE. Our aim is to encourage and enable young people to learn, train and work within a safe environment, thus facilitating their transition from school into adult life.

Services provided

CEDARS is currently open from 3 to 6 pm Monday to Thursday. There is a junior club on Mondays from 6.30pm to 8pm. A Homework Club will operate in 2008.

When funds and resources allow, the centre will be open 6 days a week for up to 12 hours each day. It is open to all young people regardless of ethnic origin, economic background, ability or disability. It operates as a faith-based organisation but not a faith-biased organisation; it serves people of all faiths and none. The target group for the drop in centre is youth aged 8 to18 that will be divided into three separate cohorts for activities – 8-10, 11-14, 15 – 18+.

The centre is staffed with experienced and qualified people, supported by volunteers who seek to deliver the vision through the provision of the services and support outlined below:

  • Support with basic skills - reading and writing and showing an interest in the individual
  • Sport and cultural activities to develop team skills e.g. football coaching in the holidays, drama/singing coaching
  • Provision of lots of new experiences - both fun and learning
  • Offering good, safe, solid, stable, positive trusting relationships with adults and peers.
  • Re-building positive attitudes to work and life.
  • Finding and developing each individual’s abilities and potential
  • Building self-esteem and self-worth
  • Offering positive role models
  • Stable relationships
  • Counselling
  • Providing a place of safety
  • Trust, understanding and acceptance of each individual
  • Good healthy meals/ snacks
  • Confidence building and support
  • Sex education
  • Health education
  • Homework support
  • Work experience
  • Careers advice and support
  • Training for getting jobs - coping in interviews - filling in forms - CVs
  • Independence skills – cooking, personal hygiene, budgeting etc
  • New skills - alternatives to academia (e.g photography courses)

Background

A Youth Café has been run for the past 4 years at the Methodist Church Hall on Sutton Court Road. Getting to know the young people who come there has led to us identifying many more needs and areas where help is required to enable them to become effective citizens. The young people themselves have been consulted on what they think their needs are and what they say confirms the impressions gained by our Youth Workers.

Chiswick Christians 4 Community was established in 2006 as a limited company and registered charity to oversee the development into a full Youth Drop-In Centre to be known as CEDARS – Christian Enterprise Delivering Acceptance Recognition Supportand success. The directors and shareholders are drawn from local churches supporting the project.

What next?

We would love to build relationships with local employers and organisations, and with individuals who would like to become involved and help us to help the youth in our area. Examples of possible relationship opportunities include:

  • Provide opportunities for work experience or work projects so that the young people can better understand the work environment;
  • Become a sponsor through making a donation towards operating costs, a particular project or initiative for the young, or by providing space for the centre in an otherwise unused building at a low rent;
  • Become a trustee (director) – we especially need individuals with property expertise;
  • Become a volunteer to deliver a training programme, help with counselling and career advice, support at the homework club, coaching a sport etc;
  • Help us hold a fund raising event;
  • Become a volunteer in the Café or make cakes to sell in it
 

We would welcome any other ideas you may have about how best to work together to make Cedars fully operational as soon as possible.

Contacts

Action

Contact

Wish to find out more for your child?

Carol (07940 466364) or Simon (07766 224308)

Would like to volunteer for café or have specific skill to offer or help with fund raising?

Jan (07702 112752) or Veronique (07896 128132) or Judith (020 8995 1266)

Would like to become a patron, corporate sponsor or individual donor?

Phil (020 8742 2390) or Richard (07989 554684)

December 17, 2007