Youth TimeBank at Castlehaven Camden, London

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1 Youth TimeBank at Castlehaven Camden, London Community Action Against Crime: Innovation Fund Case Study 2 Funded by

2 Contents Summary What was the need? 3 What did they do? 4 Who was involved? 5 What difference did it make and why? 6 Becoming an Ambassador for young people 7 What were the main lessons learned and what advice would they give to others? 8 What next? 9 About the funding 10 Funding The Youth Timebank received 72,034 funding from the Home Office s Community Action Against Crime: Innovation Fund. The fund was managed by CDF. Aim The project aimed to reduce youth crime in the local area and build better relations between young people and others in the community. Activities Castlehaven developed a Timebank that was specifically designed by and for young people, which allowed them to exchange credits earned within the community for rewards. Partnerships The project engaged groups already connected with Castlehaven Community Association, such as the Tenants and Residents Association, to provide volunteering opportunities. They used their connections with local schools to help publicise the project and purchased rewards from local businesses. Outcomes An evaluation of the project will be available in May 2013, which will look at the impact on anti social behaviour. Early indications suggested that young people were more engaged with volunteering and were developing their skills and pride as a result of their involvement with the Youth Timebank. There was also improved interaction between generations in the community resulting in greater respect and understanding. 2

3 What was the need? Engaging with young people Youth Timebank (YTB) was run by Castlehaven Community Association, which had worked to support the needs of residents in Camden since One target group that proved difficult to access was young people, especially those not in education, employment or training. Anti-social behaviour and drug abuse The surrounding area had experienced chronic antisocial behaviour including drug problems and snatch theft. In addition, there were intergenerational tensions as many community members felt like their area turned into a playground for feral youth at night, which led to hostility towards, and fear of, young people. In turn, this led to a sense of exclusion amongst young members of the community. Youth on youth crime Staff at Castlehaven also reported increasing incidence of youth on youth crime and postcode related clashes involving knives and guns whilst the chair of the Tenants and Residents Association had growing concerns about the state of the blocks and how difficult it was to improve things. High youth unemployment There was high youth unemployment in the area and it was difficult for young people to get part-time work alongside their studies. YTB sought to provide a constructive and innovative way of dealing with these issues, in particular that of youth crime, by providing an opportunity for young people to engage with their community and gain the rewards they were looking for without turning to illegal methods. 3

4 What did they do? Modelled on the existing Adult Timebank run by Castlehaven, YTB enabled young people to exchange credits earned within the community for rewards. For example, time spent supporting IT training, gardening or litter picking could be banked in order to pay for rewards like cinema tickets, beauty treatments or gym sessions. Key Features of YTB Making the most of community links Castlehaven is a well-established Community Association. Other groups that used the facilities provided volunteering opportunities such as supporting a Christmas meal for older people in the community who had nowhere else to go. The Tenants and Residents Association, who were already working with the Adult Timebank, also provided opportunities for young people to earn credits working on much needed local projects, such as maintaining a memorial garden. Crossing generational boundaries Castlehaven was able to make the most of their network by running projects that brought together different generations. Use of rewards The YTB used a reward system to motivate young people to become involved in volunteering. Being youth-led The Youth Timebankers were at the heart of the project and formed a steering committee to decide rewards and contribute to key decisions. A particularly popular reward was the residential weekend. This provided an opportunity to get away from the city and spend time outdoors. During the residential, the participants took part in team building activities and attended a series of workshops including setting up the steering group, planning an event and developing the mission statement Penalties for poor behaviour YTB aimed to encourage community-mindedness so credits were deducting following any negative behaviour in the community. 4

5 Who was involved? Tenants and Residents Association Castlehaven engaged groups already connected to the Community Association such as the Tenants and Residents Association to provide opportunities to earn credits. Local schools They had an existing relationship with local schools, which helped to publicise the project and they bought rewards from local businesses. Police and social services The police and social services were supportive as they had an existing, long-standing relationship with Castlehaven and their work with young people. Young Ambassadors The target group for the project was young people aged 13-19, in particular those identified as being responsible for local crime and antisocial behaviour. Various methods were used to recruit, including, young Ambassadors doing outreach, attendance at school freshers fairs and connecting with those already known to Castlehaven. A total of 106 Youth Timebankers had signed up against a target of 40; 87 had volunteered and approximately 30 were actively trading each month. The group was culturally diverse and included young people from different schools or not in education. Young people with disabilities also used YTB. The Youth Offending Service (YOS) The Youth Offending Service (YOS) referred three young people for the ambassador post, one of whom was successful and worked with the YTB for six months to promote it to other young people. The Social Services referred four participants and seven young people known to the YOS had selfreferred. The reward aspect of YTB was seen as a positive way to attract new young people to volunteering. One member of the community described how, Kids were queuing at the door to do things...it s new, something innovative for the kids, normally they re not encouraged to be part of the community...with this they re mixing with older and younger and they like the reward scheme...it s a ways of getting them volunteering. 5

6 What difference did it make and why? YTB aimed to reduce youth crime in the local area and build better relations between young people and others in the community. It was too early to identify any notable impact on anti-social behaviour but Castlehaven are commissioning an external evaluation which will be available in May However, the project had begun to contribute to improving relationships. Specifically, the project had a positive impact by: Engaging new young people with volunteering YTB was a successful way of engaging with young people. The rewards attracted a new group of volunteers without excluding existing ones. The youth-led approach meant that the participants were treated as adults and able to shape the programme to their needs. One youth leader commented that the project had Definitely reduced time spent [by young people] on the streets. Neighbourhoods Committee believed that this was a great way to learn that you don t get something for nothing; developing a good work ethos and providing the first step on the work ladder. Whilst the Intern believed that volunteering was setting [Youth Timebankers] up for such success Bridging community tensions The Youth Timebankers developed a greater sense of respect for their community and an increased desire to be part of it. A big reason for this was the focus on connecting them with others in the community, particularly those volunteering with the Adult Timebank. Relationships also benefitted from young people volunteering in activities that involved working alongside others such as cooking with older people. Young people were able to learn and gain experience whilst the adults achieved a greater understanding of the participants. This led to more tolerance and increased feelings of safety as they began to recognise the young people on the streets. Developing skills and pride Whilst volunteering or working as a member of the steering group, young people were required to develop important skills such as decisionmaking, speaking in front of groups and leadership. In addition, a notable pride resulted from the volunteering. An intern working for YTB commented, I really like it when the young people come in and I can see the glow from putting in a good amount of work that feeling of accomplishment. The project also received great feedback from schools with participants able to gain credits for volunteering. Earning rewards and developing a work ethic The rewards provided a legitimate way to access the things young people were interested in without turning to illegal methods in an area where part-time jobs for young people are hard to come by. The Chair of the Safer There were indications of improving perceptions of young people, for example, a Youth Worker who had grown up in the area commented that it felt like something has broken through as the different generations in the community had opened their eyes to each other. A member of the community that had been involved with YTB said it had restored my faith in young people...crime is high and everyone blames young people..., she went on to describe how she had realised that there are nice kids, and they re polite, and they say thank you and they re happy to help. Sharing resources With funding cuts, timebanking has proved a great way to share resources. The YTB, in particular, provided access to skills that are typically more associated with young people, for example, IT skills and physical work. The chair of the Residents and Tenants Association believed that YTB provided a more efficient and less bureaucratic way of achieving things than some of the more traditional routes. 6

7 Becoming an Ambassador for Young People The Youth Timebank created the opportunity for young people in the community to fill part -time paid Ambassador roles. The role of the Ambassador was to go out into the community and promote the Youth Time Bank (YTB) to young people and the local community. Tasks included promoting citizenship, contributing to the steering group and outreach. One successful candidate, referred by the Youth Offending Service, worked as an Ambassador for 6 months. He was very effective in engaging young people because he understood them and was known in the area. The project leader believed he provided a great role model to other young people as he had been in trouble in the past but had turned things around and was doing something positive and is currently doing well at college. 7

8 What were the main lessons learned and what advice would they give to others? In reflecting on YTB, those involved made the following recommendations to others looking to set up a similar project with young people: Keep momentum Once people had signed up, the team needed to act quickly to provide opportunities for young people. Ideally, these opportunities would be identified before young people were signed up. Once started, it was important to make regular contact to avoid losing interest. An intern working at YTB described a need to Reach out to them at least three times a week and make yourself present. This was mainly done by group texts and s with a monthly newsletter to really make the young people feel part of something. Have the right people leading the project The YTB leader needed to be outgoing, organised, able to sell, able to talk and involve young people. Build and capitalise on local networks The community had different things to contribute to the YTB. Having the youth club membership helped to recruit young people while other groups that were connected to Castlehaven provided volunteering opportunities. Schools provided further contact with young people and enabled promotion of the scheme, whilst the Tenants and Residents Association provided opportunities to volunteer and local businesses provided rewards. The Centre was also well connected to the Police and Social Services. Empower the Youth Timebankers but maintain ground rules By involving young people in the steering group it became their project. They could see their ideas actually happening and started to believe they could achieve something, kids being involved in the project has fuelled them to stay with the project rather than giving up. By involving them in the design, including identifying the rewards, they had access to the types of opportunities and rewards that were important to them. However, the young people still needed strong boundaries and clarity on what was and was not acceptable behaviour. Connect different generations YTB provided an opportunity to begin to break down generational barriers in the community and helped to engage the families of some Youth Timebankers with other services at Castlehaven, for example, the Adult Timebank. Engage experts Some volunteer opportunities required an expert to support the young people, for example, a gardener supported one project. This helped the young people to developing new skills and knowledge that could be transferred outside of YTB. It was noted that these experts should also know how to work with and engage young people. Allow flexibility The flexible approach of YTB meant that participants could earn their credits when it suited them; avoiding difficult periods such as exams and making the most of free time like half term. It was also important to be flexible when communicating; employing different forms of communication to meet the needs of the members. and text proved particularly effective with this group of young people. 8

9 What next? The staff at Castlehaven were surprised by the higher than expected level of engagement of young people with the YTB project. Although they had yet to connect to the Mayor s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPC), which fulfils the PCC role in London, they have already secured further funding from Garfield Weston Foundation and Lloyds TSB but recognised that to ensure sustainability of the programme they need to work on the following: Project contact Frances Shank, Castlehaven Community Association Frances@castlehaven.org.uk CAAC:IF Programme contact Sarah Golden, Community Development Foundation sarah.golden@cdf.org.uk Increase volunteering opportunities Castlehaven were in the process of recruiting a Development Worker in order to find more volunteering opportunities, as sustainability is reliant on the quantity and variety of these. The chair of the Tenants and Residents Association suggested that they had many potential projects that could be tackled by YTB. Source alternative rewards Credits were mainly paid for by funding. Castlehaven were looking for more sustainable ways based on value in kind. For example, they already had a personal trainer using the facilities for his own client sessions and then providing training as a reward. They were also looking for more education based rewards to help tackle unemployment in the area. Maintain community contact Castlehaven were keen to continue the connections that were being built in the community by continuing to offer opportunities for the young people to mix with the older community. Increase publicity It was suggested that Castlehaven could do even more to let young people know about the opportunities available to them through YTB. 9

10 About the funding This project was funded by the Home Office s Community Action Against Crime: Innovation Fund. This was a two year fund created by the Home Office and managed by the Community Development Foundation (CDF) to encourage new ways of tackling crime issues which matter most to local communities. The fund was intended to show the potential of the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector in designing innovative solutions in fighting crime alongside the police and other partners. This is one of a series of good practice case studies that have been produced to showcase the contribution that the Sector can make to reducing crime. From 2013/14, Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) will be responsible for planning and commissioning services to deliver priorities set out in their local Police and Crime Plan. The majority of central government funding for community safety, reducing reoffending and addressing substance misuse will come to an end and instead such services will be commissioned locally, at the discretion of the PCC. This could create opportunities for the VCSE sector by opening up the market to a wider range of more diverse providers who are closer to communities. Safer Future Communities, led by Clinks is supporting the VCSE sector to influence, engage and develop partnerships with their PCC. A local network led by a VCSE infrastructure organisation has been established in each police force area. VCSE organisations are encouraged to make contact with their relevant network lead who has established links with the PCC and may be able to help support preparations for local commissioning. Contact details for local networks can be found at services.sfc 10