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Soft Launch, The Battis

by LONDON BOROUGH HAVERINGNews & Updates

Soft Launch of The Battis Youth Space

Introduction

The Battis Youth Hub in Romford represents a powerful example of what can be achieved through partnership, persistence, and a clear vision for young people.

What began as a simple idea to create a safe, welcoming space for young people has evolved into a youth hub that will work to support engagement, mentoring, and positive activities during the most critical hours after school.

The Origin Story

Youth Unity’s journey at The Battis began through our involvement in the MyEnds programme with Havering Council, where we were initially given access to the indoor hub space as part of a wider consortium approach.

However, over time, Youth Unity became the primary organisation consistently activating and developing the space, transforming it into a trusted and recognised base for young people.

Around 18 months ago, Shirley Jackson, Youth Unity Director, identified an opportunity that others had overlooked, the unused side area of the former ATIK nightclub (previously a smoking area).

At the time, the space was far from usable. It had become overrun with rubbish, with waste regularly thrown into the area, making it unpleasant and unwelcoming. The inside was heavily overgrown, neglected, and largely dismissed as unusable.

Where others saw a neglected space, she saw potential.

Recognising its possibilities, she envisioned transforming it into a safe, vibrant outdoor environment where young people could feel welcome, supported, and proud to spend time.

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Securing the Space

To bring this vision to life, connections and partnerships were key.

Support from Counsellor Keith Prince enabled introductions to developers, leading to formal discussions with Urban Sketch.

Following a detailed proposal and a lengthy process navigating development requirements, we were granted:

  • Access to the outdoor space for up to 4 years
  • Permission to develop and activate the area for youth provision

This milestone marked the turning point from idea to delivery.

Building the Space – A Partnership Effort

The development of The Battis has been made possible through exceptional partnership support.

Infrastructure & Construction

Through conversations with Glen Addis, Youth Unity was introduced to a construction company who:

  • Built the outdoor structure (youth shelter)
  • Coordinated multiple contractors
  • Delivered the work entirely as an in-kind donation

Importantly, materials used were reclaimed from construction sites, creating a space that is both:

  • Sustainable
  • Environmentally responsible
  • Aligned with Youth Unity’s values

Investment in Equipment & Resources

With support from the Metropolitan Police Service, Youth Unity secured funding to equip the space with high-quality resources.

This includes:

  • Basketball hoop
  • Table tennis tables
  • Boxing equipment (with qualified coaching support)
  • TVs and gaming consoles
  • Podcasting and music equipment
  • Air fryers and food provision equipment

These resources are critical in addressing what we call the “lost hours” the period after school where many young people:

  • Have no structured activities
  • Are at higher risk of exploitation or anti-social behaviour
  • Often experience hunger

Safety & Infrastructure

Due to the nature of our work, safety is paramount.

We are incredibly grateful to MS Webb for donating:

  • CCTV systems to ensure the safety of both young people and staff

Additional ongoing support from:

  • Transport for London
  • TFL Elizabeth Line / GTSR

has enabled Youth Unity to:

  • Secure long-term use of the hub space
  • Develop the indoor facilities

Indoor Hub Development

The internal hub space has now been transformed into a multi-functional youth environment, including:

  • Gaming area
  • Podcast and media studio
  • Music production and DJ space
  • Creative areas for expression

This provides young people with opportunities to:

  • Learn new skills
  • Build confidence
  • Explore creative pathways
  • Engage in meaningful conversations with trusted adults

Community Contribution

The development of The Battis has also been supported by the wider community.

Community Payback Team

Every Sunday morning, regardless of weather, the Community Payback team:

  • Cleared the site
  • Removed waste
  • Jet washed all the areas
  • Helped prepare the area for development

Many individuals involved expressed that:

They were proud to contribute, recognising the importance of youth spaces and reflecting on the lack of provision available during their own upbringing.

Their contribution has been invaluable not just practically, but in demonstrating community ownership and shared responsibility.

Creative Identity & Environment

The space has been brought to life visually through artwork donated by:

  • Cizeone

Whose work adds:

  • Identity
  • Energy
  • A sense of pride

to the environment, making it a space young people feel connected to.

Impact & Outcomes

Over time, The Battis we hope will evolve into:

  • A recognised safe space in Romford
  • A trusted location for young people
  • A hub for engagement, mentoring, and intervention
  • A community space for arts and culture

Young people now:

  • Actively seek out the space
  • Engage positively with staff
  • Build relationships with trusted adults
  • Participate in structured and informal activities

A Collective Effort

This project would not exist without the support of:

  • Urban Sketch
  • Metropolitan Police
  • Havering Council
  • Transport for London & GTSR
  • MS Webb
  • Construction partners (in-kind support)
  • Community Payback teams
  • Creative contributors
  • Local leadership and advocacy

Youth Unity extends sincere thanks to every partner involved.

Looking Ahead

The vision for The Battis is clear:

  • To continue developing it as a flagship youth hub in Romford
  • To expand opportunities for young people
  • To create a space that fosters pride, safety, and belonging

Closing Statement

The Battis is more than a youth space it reflects what happens when:

  • Community
  • Partnership
  • Vision

come together with a shared purpose.

Here’s to a brighter future for Romford’s young people.

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Week 9 Developing & Testing Ideas

by KAILONews & Updates

Week 9 Developing & Testing Ideas

In this session, young people took their ideas further by turning them into clear, practical solutions.

The focus was on understanding how their ideas would actually work in real life and what is needed to make them successful.

What Young People Said

Young people shared that ideas need to be:

  • Easy to understand and use

  • Realistic for schools, businesses, and young people

  • Clear at every step

  • Supported with the right guidance

They also recognised that ideas improve when they are tested and developed over time.

What We Did

Young people worked together to bring their ideas to life by:

  • Mapping out the journey of how a young person would find and use an opportunity

  • Identifying what schools and businesses need to do

  • Thinking about the tools and support required

  • Choosing the most important features to focus on first

  • Creating simple storyboards to show how their idea works step-by-step

Key Themes

  • Keep it simple – Ideas should be easy to use

  • Make it realistic – It needs to work in the real world

  • Think about the journey – Every step should be clear

  • Work together – Everyone has a role to play

  • Test and improve – Ideas get better with feedback

What This Means

Young people moved from ideas to action, thinking about how their solutions could actually be delivered and used.

This helped build confidence, problem-solving skills, and a stronger understanding of how change happens.

What’s Next

The next step is to test these ideas with others, gather feedback, and continue improving them.

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Week 8 – From Ideas to Action

by KAILONews & Updates

Small Circle 8 – From Ideas to Action

In Week 8, young people moved from exploring challenges to actively developing ideas for change.

Building on previous sessions, the group agreed a clear focus area and began generating a wide range of ideas aimed at addressing issues that matter to them.

What Happened

Young people took part in a series of creative and collaborative activities designed to support idea generation and development.

This included:

  • Rapid idea creation exercises to encourage creativity and remove pressure

  • Small group discussions to share and build on ideas

  • Short presentations to develop confidence and communication

  • Group voting to identify the strongest ideas to take forward

Young people then worked together to shape their ideas further, thinking about:

  • Who the idea is for

  • What problem it solves

  • How it could work in real life

Key Outcomes

  • A shared agreement on the priority area for change

  • A range of youth-led ideas and solutions

  • Shortlisted concepts ready for further development and testing

  • Increased confidence in sharing ideas and working collaboratively

Why This Matters

This session marked an important shift from discussion to action.

Young people were not only identifying issues, but beginning to design practical solutions — developing skills in creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving along the way.

What’s Next

The ideas developed in this session will move into the next stage of the KAILO journey — prototyping and testing, where young people will begin to bring their ideas to life.

Case Study: A Pathway into the Racing Industry

A young girl from Clacton joined the British Racing School through one of Youth Unity’s supported taster weeks. During the programme she quickly stood out, showing enthusiasm, confidence and a natural ability when working with the horses.

Following the 5-day residential experience, she was invited to progress onto the 6-week Stud Staff course, where she continued to excel and develop her skills. Her dedication and commitment led her to take the next step and complete the 18-week training programme at the British Racing School.

She has now successfully progressed through the training pathway and is on track to begin her career within the horse racing industry. Her journey is a powerful example of how providing young people with access to new opportunities and hands-on experiences can open doors to genuine career pathways.

Youth Unity Horse Racing

British Racing 2026

by British Racing SchoolNews & Updates

British Racing School – Fully Funded Residential Experience

Youth Unity is delighted to once again be working with the British Racing School to offer fully funded places for young people to take part in their 5-day residential racing experience. This will be our third year supporting young people to access this incredible opportunity.

Designed to build confidence, resilience and real-life skills, the programme gives young people the chance to gain hands-on experience working with racehorses, meet professionals from within the racing industry, and explore genuine career pathways — no previous horse experience required.

Over the past two years we have seen fantastic outcomes, with some young people progressing onto further training and opportunities within the industry.

Programme Details

📍 Location: Newmarket
🏡 Fully funded residential – accommodation, food and kit included

Available Dates

• 18–22 May
• 10–14 August
• 14–18 September

Apply Now

Young people can apply directly using the link below:

👉 https://brs.picsweb.co.uk/Guest/SignUp/Applicant/341b80f0406d43fb9619c6bdffaababe

Please ensure applicants select or tick the Youth Unity option when completing the application.

Who Should Apply?

This opportunity is ideal for young people who would benefit from:

  • A boost in confidence and independence

  • New experiences outside their usual environment

  • Exploring alternative career pathways

  • Learning practical skills and teamwork

If you are working with young people who may benefit from this opportunity, please feel free to share the information with them or support them with their application.

Case Study: A Pathway into the Racing Industry

A young girl from Clacton joined the British Racing School through one of Youth Unity’s supported taster weeks. During the programme she quickly stood out, showing enthusiasm, confidence and a natural ability when working with the horses.

Following the 5-day residential experience, she was invited to progress onto the 6-week Stud Staff course, where she continued to excel and develop her skills. Her dedication and commitment led her to take the next step and complete the 18-week training programme at the British Racing School.

She has now successfully progressed through the training pathway and is on track to begin her career within the horse racing industry. Her journey is a powerful example of how providing young people with access to new opportunities and hands-on experiences can open doors to genuine career pathways.

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Clear Hold Build Harold Hill

by LONDON BOROUGH HAVERINGMetropolitan PoliceNews & Updates

Clear Hold Build – Building a Safer Future for Harold Hill

Being part of the Clear Hold Build programme in Harold Hill has easily been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. Youth Unity is incredibly proud to be part of this partnership alongside the Metropolitan Police, Havering Council, and a wide range of local partners and community organisations who are all committed to creating lasting change in the area.

Over the past two years, partners have worked closely with residents and the wider community to tackle persistent crime and antisocial behaviour while building stronger relationships and opportunities for local people. This work has demonstrated that no single organisation can deliver change at this scale alone. It is only through collaboration, trust, and shared commitment that real progress can happen.

The results of this partnership approach are already clear. Comparing the last 12 months with the 2023 pre-launch period, Harold Hill has seen significant reductions across key crime categories:

  • 935 fewer victim-based crimes – a reduction of 28.3%

  • 111 fewer violence with injury offences – down 27.6%

  • 98 fewer burglaries – down 56.3%

  • 349 fewer vehicle crimes – down 57.1%

  • 110 fewer shoplifting offences – down 41.2%

Alongside these reductions, partners have taken decisive action to tackle organised crime and improve safety in the community. Over the past two years there have been more than 130 arrests for a wide range of offences, and over 30 warrants executed, leading to the seizure of more than £2 million worth of drugs, the shutdown of several county lines operations, and the removal of numerous weapons from the streets of Havering.

These outcomes highlight the power of intelligence-led policing combined with strong partnership working and community engagement. Clear Hold Build is not just about enforcement; it is about restoring community confidence, strengthening neighbourhood pride, and creating the conditions where young people and families can thrive.

For Youth Unity, this work is particularly important. Through our youth engagement, mentoring, and outreach programmes, we help ensure that young people in the area have positive opportunities, trusted adults, and safe spaces that steer them away from crime and antisocial behaviour.

Last weekend, partners and residents came together to mark the launch of the Build phase of the programme – the next step in the journey of “Our Harold Hill – Clear Hold Build.” This stage focuses on strengthening the community, supporting prevention, and ensuring that the progress made so far leads to long-term, sustainable change for Harold Hill.

The event was a powerful reminder that when organisations, residents, and young people work together, it is possible to create safer, stronger communities.

Youth Unity is proud to stand alongside our partners and the Harold Hill community as we continue this journey.

 
 
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Young People supporting Young People

by News & UpdatesWorkshops & Training

Celebrating Youth-Led Innovation: Building Mentoring Frameworks with Clear Pathways and Purpose

At Youth Unity, we strongly believe in creating opportunities for young people not only to receive support, but to help shape how that support is delivered. One of the things we are most proud of this year is the incredible initiative shown by one of our young mentors, who, at just 23 years old, has designed a full set of structured mentoring frameworks to support young people across different stages of their lives.

These frameworks were developed to bring consistency, clarity, and clear end goals to mentoring relationships, helping young people understand what they are working towards and how each session supports their personal development. They also give schools, parents, and partners confidence that mentoring is not just supportive, but purposeful, measurable, and safely delivered.

What Do the Frameworks Cover?

The frameworks span multiple areas of need and age groups, including:

  • Year 6–7 Transition Mentoring – supporting confidence, emotional wellbeing, coping strategies, and school readiness during the move from primary to secondary school, with structured 6-, 8- and 12-week pathways and clear outcomes around belonging, peer relationships, and engagement.

Yr 6-7 transition

  • Emotional Regulation and Conflict Resolution Mentoring – a trauma-informed, strengths-based approach for young people aged 11–18 who struggle with managing emotions, triggers, and relationships, with defined eligibility criteria and clear safeguarding boundaries.

Emotional and Regulation Mentor…

  • Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing (Early Help) Mentoring – focused on low to moderate emotional needs, helping young people build coping strategies, confidence, and healthy help-seeking behaviours, while clearly identifying when specialist or clinical services are required.

Youth Unity Mentoring framework…

  • Life Skills and Independence Mentoring (16–25) – supporting young people to build practical skills such as time management, budgeting, self-care, and problem-solving to prepare for independent living and adulthood.

Life skills and Independence

  • Employment and Training Mentoring – helping young people aged 16–24 develop CVs, interview skills, career awareness, and realistic progression plans into education, training, or employment.

Each framework includes:

  • Clear eligibility and exclusion criteria
  • Defined session structures
  • Adaptable 6-, 8- and 12-week pathways
  • Outcomes that can be measured and reviewed
  • Built-in reflection and planned endings, supporting healthy transitions rather than dependency

Blending Digital Tools with Relationship-Based Practice

Alongside Youth Unity’s accredited training programmes and safeguarding frameworks, these mentoring pathways also integrate the Ambition Project (https://mynd-app.com/), which we have permission to use as part of our delivery.

The Ambition Module supports young people to:

  • Track goals and progress
  • Reflect between sessions
  • Build self-awareness and motivation
  • Stay engaged with their development outside of face-to-face mentoring

This blended approach allows us to combine trusted relationships with practical digital tools, helping young people build skills that transfer into everyday life, education, and work.

Young People Supporting Young People, With Professional Backing

What makes this even more powerful is that these frameworks were created by someone who understands, first-hand, the realities young people face today. This is a clear example of youth-informed practice, where lived experience, professional standards, and safeguarding expectations come together.

At the same time, these frameworks sit within Youth Unity’s wider organisational systems:

  • Case management and safeguarding oversight
  • Professional supervision
  • Accredited training and continuous development

This ensures that while young people are helping shape support, it is always delivered safely, ethically, and in line with statutory expectations.

Growing Talent From Within

We are incredibly proud to support the growth and development of our own staff and mentors. Creating space for initiative like this reflects our wider commitment to:

  • Building future youth work leaders
  • Supporting professional development
  • Valuing innovation at every level of the organisation

This work shows what can happen when young professionals are trusted, supported, and given the opportunity to lead not just in delivery, but in designing the systems that support young people to thrive.

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Police Christmas Choir

by News & Updates

An Evening of Reflection and Partnership at Westminster Abbey

Last night, members of the Youth Unity CIC team were honoured to attend the Metropolitan Police Annual Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey, following a kind invitation from our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police.

Set within the incredible surroundings of the Abbey, the evening created a warm and reflective atmosphere, bringing together partners, frontline professionals and community organisations to mark the end of another demanding year of public service. The carols, readings and shared moments of quiet reflection offered a chance to pause, reconnect and recognise the collective effort that goes into keeping our communities safe and supported.

At Youth Unity, partnership working sits at the heart of everything we do. Our collaboration with police, councils, schools and community services allows us to reach young people earlier, provide positive opportunities, and build trusted relationships that support long-term change. Events like this are an important reminder that behind every programme and every intervention are people who care deeply about young people and their futures.

We would like to thank the Metropolitan Police for the invitation and for hosting such a thoughtful and welcoming event. It was a genuinely lovely way to step into the festive season and reflect on the value of working together.

As the year comes to a close, we want to wish all of our partners, young people, families and supporters a peaceful and joyful holiday period, and we look forward to continuing our work together in the new year.

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Views Case Management

by News & UpdatesUncategorized

Investing in Better Safeguarding and Smarter Systems

At Youth Unity, young people are at the heart of everything we do. Safeguarding, trust and accountability are not just responsibilities we talk about they are built into our daily practice.

That’s why we’ve recently invested in a new case management system through Substance. This system allows us to securely log our sessions, record the support we provide, and ensure that important information is kept safe, accurate and consistent. Most importantly, it strengthens our safeguarding processes and helps us respond more effectively when young people need us.

We also know that our mentors’ time is best spent building relationships, supporting young people and being present, not completing endless paperwork. This system has been chosen to make recording information simpler, faster and more meaningful, allowing our team to focus on what matters most.

In addition, the system enables us to produce more in-depth case studies and structured reports. This is essential in helping us demonstrate impact clearly, meet the requirements of our funders, and ensure transparency and accountability across our work.

While there is a learning curve, this investment is about long-term impact. It will help us track progress more clearly, identify concerns earlier, and evidence outcomes more effectively.

This change reflects our ongoing commitment to improving our services and ensuring that every young person we work with is supported safely, responsibly and with care.

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Kings Garden Party 2025

by News & Updates

Youth Unity CIC at the King’s Garden Party — A Day We’ll Never Forget

This year, Youth Unity CIC had the incredible honour of being invited to attend the King’s Garden Party at Buckingham Palace, in recognition of the work we do with young people and communities across our local areas.

It was one of those moments where you stop, look around, and think… how did we get here? From community centres, school halls, street-based outreach and youth clubs, to standing in the gardens of the Palace — it was truly a day we will never forget.

We were lucky enough to be given two tickets, which, if we’re honest, felt both amazing and slightly cruel — because if it were up to us, we would have brought the whole Youth Unity team along. But let’s be realistic… the King may have been slightly overwhelmed if our entire staff team, mentors, coaches and youth workers had all turned up together!

One of the highlights of the day was seeing His Majesty the King up close and in person, something neither of us will ever quite get over. It was a powerful reminder that the work happening every day in local communities — often quietly, behind the scenes — really does matter and is being noticed.

For us, this invitation wasn’t just about a special day out. It was about recognition of:

  • the dedication of our frontline staff and volunteers

  • the trust placed in us by young people and families

  • the strength of our partnerships with councils, police, schools and community organisations

  • and the belief that early support, positive opportunities and strong relationships can change lives

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported Youth Unity along the way — from funders and commissioners, to local partners, parents, and most importantly the young people who allow us to walk alongside them in their journeys.

So yes… we had an amazing day, we enjoyed the sunshine, we soaked up the atmosphere, and we came home feeling proud, motivated, and even more committed to continuing the work we do.

And next time, Your Majesty… we’ll try not to bring the whole team. Probably.

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Youth centre closures linked to greater risk of young people entering criminal justice system

by News & UpdatesStopNAsk

Source Article: NYA 

Whilst youth services have been cut by 77% over more than a decade, violent offences among young people remain at unacceptably high levels warn the National Youth Agency (NYA), in its latest report, The social cost of youth work cuts: Preventing youth offending through youth work, published at the start of Youth Work Week, from 6 -12 November. Despite these startling figures, it costs four times more for a young person to enter the criminal justice system (£200,000 by the age of 16), than it does for them to avoid it through youth work provision (less than £50,000). (1)

The social cost of youth work report provides an analysis of 74 sources of academic literature and research evidence relating to the impact of youth work on young people in contact with the youth justice system. The report shows a clear association between reduced funding for youth provision and an increase in crime rates for some young people. 

Despite this, open access youth service expenditure has been disproportionately affected by austerity cuts. Furthermore, young people themselves are crying out for safe spaces with 24% of young respondents to a recent survey by the youth charity OnSide, reporting that they do not have a safe space to go to where they feel they belong. (2)

Whilst convictions have fallen by a third, for every 1,000 children in the population, 4.6 are still in the youth justice system, and their needs are becoming increasingly complex in the wake of the pandemic, as mental health rates soar and amid a cost-of-living crisis. (3)

Meanwhile, youth work saves £500 million on public spending through crime reduction alone and social return on investment research reveals that £1 investment in youth work is estimated to return £3.20 – £6.40 of value. (4)

The report cites the 2020 All-Party Parliamentary Group for Knife Crime focused on the impact of youth centre closures across the country, which revealed that each reduction in the number of youth centres corresponded to an increase in knife crime. This trend is echoed in a PhD study, completed earlier this year, which reviewed London youth centre provision published in 2023 by Carmen Villa-Llera, in the Economics Observatory at the University of Warwick. The research found that crime participation amongst 10-15 year olds increased by 10% in those London boroughs affected most by youth centre closures between 2010-2019. Furthermore, young people in these areas are 12% more likely to be suspended from school since the reduction in youth provision. (5)

Examples of where youth work is having a positive impact on youth crime rates, include the Linx Youth Project, Middlesbrough, which saw a significant reduction in crime amongst young people as a result of youth workers delivering support in the community (detached youth work), with the number of first-time entrants to youth justice decreasing by 79% over a four year period from 2016 to 2020. Furthermore, the project evaluation found that the social impact value for the service is £5.50 for every £1 invested. (6)

Meanwhile a Redthread youth work team working in the Emergency Department at St Mary’s hospital has brought about a 59% reduction in young people’s involvement with violence, and 37% reduction in involvement with crime, as a direct result of their engagement with a youth worker in the hospital.  (7)

The launch of The social cost of youth work cuts report from National Youth Agency coincides with their annual Youth Work Week national campaign, which this year is focussing on the added value that youth workers bring to the outcomes of young people through providing their particular support in a range of contexts and professional settings.  

Leigh Middleton, Chief Executive, National Youth Agency, said: “A lack of youth work isn’t just failing our young people, it’s also putting a strain on the public purse. Where youth workers are working in partnership with other allied professionals such as prison officer, youth offending teams, healthcare workers and teachers, we know that they are able to use their particular set of skills to capitalise on that ‘reachable moment’ and work with, and for, the young person to help them recognise that they can make positive choices about their future lives. 

“The NYA is working to build back the skills and capacity of the sector working closely with our academic and training partners, and through schemes such as the DCMS funded bursary and leveraging the government’s apprenticeship levy to enhance opportunities to attract people to youth work and to retain and upskill those already working in the sector.” 

NYA Full Report CLICK HERE