This success story illustrates collaboration between a Community Animateur trainee from Docklands Outreach and a group of 11-19 year old young people who were the subject of complaints by local residents and shop owners about their perceived ‘anti-social behaviour’. Complaints focused on noise pollution, hanging out in large groups, smoking and riding bikes on pavements.
Using CA skills acquired from the Training Programme, the trainee worked with local agencies and young people, using observation and street outreach techniques, to build a picture of the dynamics of the area and young peoples’ needs and aspirations.
Key themes that emerged from this work were the lack of understanding between young people, organisations and the wider community; young people not accessing relevant services and the lack of collaborative and preventative initiatives.
What emerged from this was a late night youth club set up in collaboration with a local cycle shop to get young people interested in bikes to attend workshops there. The case illustrates how the PAR model (participatory action-research) used by the COMANITY programme reduced potential social conflicts between young people and other community groups by engaging young people working with other stakeholders in collaborative work.