The Unity Hub is back at Ninefields from the 5th January and then each month thereafter.
The Unity Hub functions as a secure haven catering to the needs of young individuals and is conveniently situated on Ninefields Park.
Its central focus centres on involving young people in music, podcasting, and gaming, all aimed at fostering a robust sense of community among the youth. We also encourage sports, we found a game of football is always appreciated, there is also table tennis and other activities such as arts or a game of chess.
In close partnership with Epping Forest District Council, Community Safety Team, the Unity Hub takes on the form of a mobile bus, extending an invitation for young individuals to step aboard.
Our primary objective is to establish a secure and welcoming space within the community, providing an opportunity for the community to unite and gain a deeper understanding of the youth and their requirements. Often, young people find themselves without guidance or suitable destinations, and UNITY HUB is dedicated to offering prospects and directing them to other engaging activities.
Our goal is to provide valuable direction and advice by pointing towards various activities within the local vicinity. Additionally, we extend assistance and guidance on topics that hold significance for both young individuals and parents.
‘Chicken shop grooming’ is a form of child exploitation prevalent throughout the UK, which has not received widespread public attention until recently. Young people on their way home from school are bought food by an acquaintance or stranger over a number of days and start to unknowingly accrue debt”. Paul McKenzie
“Chicken shop grooming” refers to a form of child exploitation where perpetrators target vulnerable young people in or around fast-food outlets, especially in urban areas. These locations are popular with young people, making it easier for predators to engage with them. The grooming process typically involves gaining the trust of the young person by offering free food, money, or other incentives, gradually leading to various forms of exploitation, such as sexual exploitation or coercion into criminal activities. This practice highlights the need for increased awareness and intervention in everyday places where such grooming might be overlooked.
“Chicken shop grooming” has become an increasingly significant concern, particularly in urban areas where fast-food outlets are common hangouts for young people. The problem has grown as perpetrators exploit these public spaces to target vulnerable youths, offering them free food or money to gain their trust before leading them into various forms of exploitation.
Over time, the threat has evolved due to factors like the growing accessibility of these environments and the increasing sophistication of grooming techniques. Perpetrators have become more adept at identifying and manipulating vulnerable individuals, making it harder for authorities and communities to detect and prevent these activities. This shift has underscored the urgent need for enhanced awareness, preventative measures, and stronger community vigilance to protect young people from such exploitation.
How to tackle the problem of “chicken shop grooming,” a multi-faceted approach is needed that involves the community, authorities, and young people themselves. Here are some key strategies:
Education and Awareness: Schools, parents, and community organisations should educate young people about the risks of grooming and how to recognise suspicious behavior. Raising awareness among fast-food outlet staff to identify and report grooming activities can also be crucial.
Increased Surveillance and Security: Authorities can work with local businesses to increase surveillance in areas where young people gather, including installing CCTV cameras and increasing police patrols.
Safe Spaces for Youth: Communities should invest in safe recreational spaces and youth programs that provide alternative places for young people to spend their time, reducing their exposure to potential groomers in unsupervised settings.
Community Engagement: Encouraging community members to be vigilant and report suspicious activities can create a safer environment. Partnerships between police, social services, and local businesses can help monitor and address the issue.
Support for Victims: Providing accessible support services for young people who may have been targeted, including counseling and legal assistance, is essential for their recovery and for preventing further exploitation.
Stronger Legal Frameworks: Governments can enhance laws and regulations to better address grooming activities and prosecute offenders effectively, while also holding businesses accountable for failing to prevent exploitation on their premises.
By implementing these measures, communities can work together to protect young people and reduce the prevalence of chicken shop grooming.
This short film by Paul Mckenzie asks the question. What happens to the victims of violence? Far too often there are victims of senseless violence that feel that they have no voice. This follows the journey of a group of individuals that through destiny are reunited for all the wrong reasons. With the level of serious violence on our streets and in our houses, this short film is an insight into what a victim may feel like, and more strikingly what a victim would consider to be justice.
The film was made as a tool to teach young people and adults that we must take a different perspective when we consider how victims of violence are affected longterm.
he cast members included Abdi Omar a young man who was born with cerebral palsy. The opportunity helped him to overcome the stereotype that people with disabilities cannot take part in acting.
Three of the other cast members are autistic and they were also able to contribute fully towards the making of this short film called Karma.
William - A short story of making the right choices - Produced by Paul McKenzie
This film is part of an interactive workshop. Please get in touch if you would like to know more. admin@youthunity.org
‘WILLIAM’ is a hard-hitting production that aims to raise awareness, kick-start conversations and build resilience around youth violence – with a focus on grooming and county lines – as part of a public health approach to tackling the issue – an issue that is seeing young people targeted. Children and young people involved with gangs and criminal exploitation need help and support. They might be victims of violence or pressured into doing things like stealing or carrying drugs or weapons. They might be abused, exploited and put into dangerous situations.
The production be targeted at two different groups:–
Young people (year 13+)
Parents, carers, teachers & professionals working with children & young people
WILLIAM is a young man with a great future as a professional footballer. He lives in a community that is suffering the impact of serious youth violence and grooming. Many of the youth are already aware that there are “olders” that target young people to join county lines. William is the victim of this.
He is being pressured to sell drugs on his local estate. William is reluctant to continue and has chosen to confront his manipulative older. The story highlights the pressures that young people face and the choices they have to make.
William is also being pressured by his girlfriend to buy her gifts and he can only do this by selling drugs to raise the money.
This short film highlights the challenges involved in making the right decision to refuse the lure of groomers.
The short film aims to:
Raise awareness around the risks and consequences of criminal explolitation in young people on the individual and on their friends, families and on the wider community
Build resilience by raising awareness, creating a common language and kick-starting conversations around the influences, fears and pressures that can lead to the decision to hurt someone or to carry a knife and how these can be managed or avoided
Build resilience by raising awareness of and promoting the core skills (including but not limited to: self-confidence, self-esteem, risk assessment, emotional intelligence, empathy, decision making, recognising healthy relationships) that can be used help young people to navigate a whole host of issues, critical moments and adverse childhood experiences that they may encounter
Raise awareness around the importance of seeking help and advice or telling someone if they are concerned about themselves, a friend or someone they know.
There are several reasons why making the right choice can be difficult:
Complexity: Many decisions involve multiple factors and considerations, making them complex. It can be challenging to weigh the pros and cons, assess risks, and anticipate potential outcomes.
Uncertainty: The future is unpredictable, and decisions often involve unknown variables. The lack of complete information can make it difficult to determine the best course of action.
Emotional factors: Emotions can cloud judgment and influence decision-making. Fear, stress, or personal biases can impact our ability to objectively assess the situation and make rational decisions.
Consequences: Decisions often have consequences, and the fear of making the wrong choice can lead to decision paralysis. The fear of making a mistake or regretting a decision can make it hard to move forward.
Pressure: External pressures, such as societal expectations, opinions of others, or time constraints, can add to the difficulty of decision-making. Feeling pressured to meet certain standards or expectations can create stress and impact decision-making.
Despite these challenges, there are several strategies that can help in making better decisions, such as gathering information, considering different perspectives, evaluating pros and cons, seeking advice from trusted sources, and taking the time to reflect and weigh the options. It’s important to remember that making mistakes is a part of the learning process, and sometimes, there may not be a single “right” choice. The key is to approach decision-making with a thoughtful and rational mindset, considering all available information and taking responsibility for the choices made.
Through the outreach work we do on a weekly basis, we have the opportunity to meet a variety of different people that live and commute into the community. Through these engagements we have successfully established some firm relationships with people of all ages.
We have also built a reasonably good relationship with many of the youth that live in this catchment.
Many of these young people have gone onto partake in a number of additional projects that have been initiated within the Erith area.
Through this engagement we have supported three young men in particular. These young men, were invited to be part of our project “Project Point of View” a project sponsored by the property developers Dominvs.
We are confident that the summer of 2022 will hold many treasured memories for the young men that took part.
The young men from Bexley are always enthusiastic and a pleasure to work with. They often visit us on our regular outreach provision.
During the summer they able visited spaces such as the US Embassy, high end apartments, constructions sites and even had the opportunity to interview the CEO of the Dominvs group in a scheduled podcast.
For the group the highlight was a five day residential in Cornwall where they all took part in water rafting, paddle boarding, canoeing and they even jumped from twenty foot cliffs to overcome their fear of water and other limiting beliefs they had.
Two of the young men could not swim before the residential, and had a fear of water in general.
Successfully all of the group overcame their fears of water and took part in some of the most challenging activities involving water.
The transformation for these three young men and the wider group was amazing to witness and share with them. They also established life long relationships created by the intense team work and support they offered each other over the days away from their homes and their natural environments.
The overall project will have a long lasting impact on their lives and will promote a better understanding of how they can overcome challenges now and in their futures.
Projects such as the outreach in Erith is proof that being on the streets and meeting the people in the community at a grassroots level really does have an impact.
“touching people’s hearts through your work is the only job that you could do and nobody has to hire you for it.”
Youth Unity works to provide opportunities to young people. This is all made possible meeting local people and opening frank and honest conversations.
During half-term, we brought together seven young individuals to embark on an ambitious film project that addresses the urgent need for greater focus on mental health. We didn’t rely on knives or guns; our only weapons were passion and a commitment to change the narrative. This project aims to shed light on the mental health struggles that many young people experience, often showing signs early on. It was these challenges that inspired the creation of SICK, a short film dedicated to addressing this critical issue.
To reduce the stigma surrounding mental health, we must recognise it as a concern for everyone.
Film provides a powerful platform to bring mental health into the spotlight, offering a way to approach sensitive subjects with care and openness. Our screenings serve as a catalyst for discussion, helping people navigate difficult conversations, foster empathy, and ultimately, reduce the stigma associated with mental health.
SICK made history as the first short film ever to be screened at the prestigious National Gallery in London
Study shows impact of knife imagery not universal, but is more profound for some young people affected by violence
Researchers suggest some young people may be ‘desensitised’ to seeing images of large knives posted on social media
Peer-led study shows knife imagery can make young people feel fearful and scared
Small number of young people admitted seeing images of large knives would make them more likely to carry a knife themselves
New research published by London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) has found that there is a negligible effect on young people of seeing images of knives posted by police on social media – but the impact on a smaller group of young people could be profound.
Researchers also suggests that some children and young people have become desensitised to seeing images of large knives and machetes seized where they live.
In January last year, London’s VRU commissioned research on behalf of its Young People’s Action Group (YPAG) who were concerned that posting images of knives seized by the police on social media could contribute to a sense of fear in communities, particularly amongst young people.
It’s recognised that there is a strong debate around images of knives and dangerous weapons seized by the police being published online. Alongside creating a sense of fear for some, the VRU’s YPAG also raised concerns that seeing images of big knives seized on London’s streets by police can lead to some young people getting hold of more dangerous weapons and knives in order to protect themselves.
The VRU commissioned research, led by University College London, to examine the impact on young people of knife imagery posted by police on social media. The research, published today, found little to suggest that viewing social media posts of knives seized by police had an impact on young people’s attitudes towards knives and knife-carrying. Researchers suggested this may be due to young people having become desensitised to seeing images of knives. They recommended further qualitative research to capture the views of young people already affected by knife-carrying or harm.
To support the research, the YPAG carried out peer-led surveys and a series of workshops with a group of young people aged 12-25 who benefit from the VRU’s programmes aimed at tackling violence and exploitation. It gave them a safe platform to discuss their views of the impact of seeing images of knives online.
It found that seeing images of knives seized by police and posted on social media can lead to young people feeling fearful and unsafe about where they live.
The surveys and workshops found that:
The majority of young people (53 per cent – 18 young people) felt unsafe, scared and worried upon seeing images of knives posted on social media by police
55 per cent (17 young people) felt their family and communities would feel afraid and fearful upon seeing images of knives posted online
Three young people (8 per cent) even admitted they would be more likely to carry a knife after seeing images of what had been confiscated where they live
When asked how seeing an image of a confiscated knife on police social media accounts would make them feel, one young person said: “If I see someone is carrying something horrific in my area and all I’m carrying is a flick knife.. what do you think I’m gonna do?”
What was clear through the survey of young people and the workshops, was that for some young people seeing knives online does create a sense of fear and can also trigger knife-related trauma.
It also demonstrated that young people are supportive of the police tackling violence and removing dangerous weapons, but the overwhelming consensus was that instead of showing images of large knives, the Met should instead focus on the good work it is doing with communities and young people.
One young person said: “The Met constantly telling us there’s knives here just further normalises it as our reality.”
As a result of the evidence, and having listened to the concerns of young people, the VRU’s Young People’s Action Group recommends that the Met stop posting images of confiscated knives on social media because of the impact it has on some young people and communities, and in a very small number of cases, can lead to a young person choosing to pick up a knife to protect themselves.
The VRU and the YPAG are keen to work with the Met to support other ways of visually demonstrating its work with communities and young people have set out a series of recommendations, which includes interviews with officers and holding events with young people to focus on the work they are doing to make communities safer.
This approach would be similar to Thames Valley, South Yorkshire and the West Midlands, whose police forces have already taken a decision to stop posting images of knives seized on social media.
Jade Barnett, member of VRU’s Young People’s Action Group, said:
“The Young People’s Action Group wanted to examine the issue of knife imagery because we had heard from other young people and communities that posting images of knives on social media platforms creates a sense of fear.
“We know this impact is not universal – not all young people will be affected by seeing images of large knives online, but neither are all young people affected by violence.
“Whilst the research showed there was little effect, what it does suggest and was backed up by surveys and workshops directly with young people, is that some young people – including myself – have been desensitised in relation to seeing images of knives.
“It’s worrying to know that young people see this as a normality. What the sessions with young people did uncover is that there is a negative impact, based around fear and trauma, for a small group of young people who are already too close to violence. Why would be want to seek to subject these young people to further trauma?
“I hope that this research is an eye opener and that the posting of knife imagery isn’t positively impacting the police’s relationships with our communities.
“I have high hopes that with the support of the VRU, including members of the YPAG, we will build a strong relationship with the Met to move away from posting images of knives and find other ways of demonstrating the work they are doing.”
Lib Peck, Director of London’s Violence Reduction Unit, said:
“Listening to the voices of young people is an integral part of our approach to tackling violence, which is rooted in prevention and early intervention.
“That’s why we supported our Young People’s Action Group who felt very strongly about the complex issue of knife imagery.
“What is clear is that while, for the large majority of the young people we surveyed, there is little effect of seeing images of knives online, the impact for a smaller group of young people who may be affected by violence, is much more profound.
“Both the research and peer-led workshops and surveys demonstrated that our young people have become desensitised to seeing images on social media of large knives confiscated where they live. That really can’t be right or acceptable in society.
“We know that’s the exact opposite of what’s intended by the police who share our determination to tackle violence and make our communities safer for all Londoners. It’s important we listen to our young people and take action now to stop posting images.”
“We value the involvement of young Londoners, on the important and ongoing debate around sharing images of knives on social media. We look forward to working with the Young People’s Action Group, to understand their recommendations and how it could affect our communications around knife-crime.
“Historically we have shared images to highlight the work of our officers and their successful results. This has helped to reassure communities that the Met is committed to targeting those carrying weapons and fuelling violence our streets. Other research has suggested this is important to communities.
“We are an evidence-driven organisation, and that extends to the way in which we communicate with Londoners. We look forward to reviewing the results of this research and engaging with our communities, which will inform our approach moving forward.”
Media Hub came to Ashford in the February school half term
A safe space for young budding musicians that is mobile, and can be accessible anywhere. The bus has been transformed into a fully functioning studio, with new equipment. The Bus can pull up anywhere for a session with anyone who needs it, from professional artists to school children who want to learn how to make music. The emphasis is on the young generation coming up and supporting them, and giving back to the community.
Street Interviews, we will be taking to the streets filming short vlogs with members of the community. Our aim is to get a wider snapshot of how the community is coping with the current climate, rise in fuel costs, the strikes and sadly the rise in series youth violence.
What they would like to see change in the borough?
Although these are serious topics we will work to ensure that these are engaging and positive as possible whilst giving a real voice to the community.
Podcasting in the community of Erith. Delivered in partnership with Bexley Community Safety Partnership. Interviews include some key people from the local area of Erith.
The podcasts are available to listen back to on our YUPOD via major platforms such as Spotify, iTunes.
Podcasting has become a popular way of addressing topics. It has become an important tool in communication. Podcasting can promote important discussions in a safe and comfortable environment. Many platforms that focus on podcasting as a medium are reaching audiences that were previously hard to attract.
Youth unity have used podcasting as a positive way of teaching young people that communicating effectively and raising awareness about topics that affect your immediate surroundings are a good way of creating change.
The core focus of using podcasting as a medium is to enable people of all ages to share the experience of talking together irrespective of age, gender or ability. The outcomes are measured in the recordings and can be an effective way of bridging the gaps in our communities.
The other benefits of using podcasting with young people is that it provides them with a new skill set that can be transferred into every aspect of their lives. Communication is the key to almost every career and the better you are at it the more opportunities are available.
This podcast is working with AgedUk, based in Erith. Whereby they run an amazing project called “Men in Sheds”. The young people had some great questions to ask with some interesting thought provoking answers.
Youth Unity Hub every Friday night on Limes Farm Estate in the Community Centre from 6pm to 8pm – 10+ boys and girls
Youth Unity are working in partnership with Epping Forest district council to deliver wellbeing sessions at the Limes Farm Community Centre, Limes Ave Chigwell IG7 5LP, every Friday night from 6pm to 8pm. Starting 27th January.
The multi-sport activities are available to both boys and girls aged 11 to 18 with the aim of engaging more youngsters with sport, whilst also building on life skills helping to improve confidence, self-esteem and ambition.
The sessions will include a number of different activities, including boxing, fitness, table tennis, and will be run by fully qualified sports coaches who are also mentors.
The fun, engaging and challenging sessions can be very rewarding for the youngsters, a chance for them to come to a safe space and make new friends.
