Whether it's stewarding at a festival, writing for a magazine, or producing works of art, volunteering for creative projects is bound to get those juices flowing.

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Thursday Mar 25, 2010

Hackney craft club

On the way to the Wilton Estate Youth Club in Hackney last week, I wasn't sure what to expect. I found the opportunity on Do-it and it sounded exactly like a place I'd like to be: somewhere young people can come after school, meet their mates, play games or sports, and generally have more fun than standing in the street. It's the kind of place I used to go to when I was younger, and although things have changed since then, I think the desire to be sociable is still what comes first for young people. It's what many adults would have you forget if you believe what's written in the papers.
 
I work for YouthNet, the young people's charity that runs Do-it, so it's my job to know what's going on in the youth sector. But because we're an online charity I don't have daily contact with young people, and I miss out on all the great company they can offer. So wanting to volunteer at a youth club is as much about what I want as it is about helping in the community. I can't wait to spend time with young minds that are so full of good ideas and enthusiasm. I'm sure there will be challenges, but I'm more focused on all the fun it's going to be.
 
I met Sheila, who is a resident on the estate and has run the club for a few years now. She has complete respect from the young people and I admire her authority. As this was my first visit, we were just planning to have a chat about what I might be able to do there. I'm keen to help out on some arts projects, especially to do with writing or poetry, as it's something I've not had much of a chance to do since university. I hope there will be some young people who are captured by a line in a book or poem and who will be inspired.
 
As it turned out, Tuesday was music night, so our chat was more of a shout. It didn't matter at all - I was so impressed by the children playing the drums and guitars. The music teacher (I haven't got anyone's names down yet) explained to me that the kids only get one lesson a week and can't practice at home because they don't have any instruments. So progress is slow. Even so, I've never seen a 12-year-old play the drums so well. They were really enjoying themselves.
 
Sheila explained that there aren't many volunteers at the moment, so many of the plans they have are temporarily on hold. They want to run a different theme for every night of the week to make best use of the space. It doesn't look like a big building at first - there's no one big room, at but it has a few good-sized rooms and a kitchen too. She tells me that music and sports already take up two nights, so a homework club and arts evening would be good additions. We agree she'll put me in touch with another volunteer so that we can talk about arts ideas.
 
So after the first meeting, I feel like I have a huge opportunity to bring my own ideas to the table. On the bus back to Finsbury Park, where I live, I feel excited, but also know that I've never done any teaching or arts sessions before, so I'm going to have to do some research. I think the best idea is to speak to the young people themselves and ask them what they want. I also hope some arts projects might attract more females. There was only one girl there the night I visited, and she said hardly any girls come.
 
Next time, I hope I'll speak to more of the young people and get to know them better. My background is completely different from theirs – I was brought up in Reading which is a small town compared to London, but I know we'll all get on. I can't wait to get stuck in.

Posted by GabyJ ( 3:01 PM )
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