Where we work

The London boroughs of Lambeth, Lewisham, Wandsworth, Westminster, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Islington and Waltham Forest.

Local area map

Issues our young people face

Gemma Clemson, Operations Manager, Kennington:

"One of the biggest problems in this area is that we have a lot of young people with not a lot to do. The truancy and exclusion rates are massive, which leads to problems of antisocial behaviour. Kids out of school all day get involved in petty crime because they have no direction and there aren’t many facilities for them. There is a lot of cannabis and alcohol abuse.

There is also a problem with gangs. They are territorial and there can even be problems depending what estate you’re from. It can even be from what colour bandana you are wearing. There are problems of people carrying knives and every week you hear of someone being stabbed. Teenage pregnancy is the highest in the country. There are low aspirations, there’s a lack of education, and some kids can be so vulnerable that actually having something to love is something that they quite like."