CARE LINK WEST MIDLANDS

The Youth club is designed to enable all young people, ranging from children to teenagers, to reach their full potential as caring and responsible citizens. It offers different activities to help children learn and grow, have ongoing relationships with other young people and adults and give hope and opportunity for their future. Most of all, the youth club activities are a way to help young people have fun and make new friends.

Under this programme, a number of activities are delivered:

• On-site activities include information and advice on community cohesion, open day networking events during school holidays with themes like 'Celebrating Culture' e.g. try on clothing typically worn in a different country and take part in various games from different parts of the world. Specifically, the Come Together events commonly known as ‘transform’ attitudes, cover topics delivered informally aiming at constructive discussions between young people from different communities. Topics include “Freedom of Expression”, “Hate Speech”, “Freedom of Religion”, “Treat others as you would like them to treat you”, “Cutting through every Type of Prejudice” and “Celebrating what Makes us Different from Each Other. E.g. Young people to get to experience diverse foods from around the world, get Henna Tattoos, learn a traditional Dance, experience other culture’s drumming, etc. 

• The project encourages meeting regularly to share community foods and positive public speaking, conversations around similarities and differences in faith; play competitive quizzes; organize books-reading competitions; watch educational films together and promote other common interest informative and amusing aspects of daily life such as jazz nights, poetry nights, open mic events; drive discussions around the key issues and challenges relating to the role of faith, religion and pluralism in the world today; interactive events such as discussing topics on struggles and challenges faced by Ministers; How can I help others when I need help and why churches conflict with each other; organizing workshop setting educational and careers goals; how to start a business; improving spiritual and prayer life; Why should I care about success/God-workshop/events; all ages events giving convincing answers to tough questions; female empowerment events such as the lady in the mirror i.e. self-reflection and setting the inner youth free ), etc. This is the opportunity that includes and discusses some of the world hot and sensitive topics such as Islam, Syria, ISIS, Online Safety, Racism, Global Politics and Personal Identity as they are often flagged out and highlighted in our national media.

• Recent trips have included taking young people cycling, campus trips to Birmingham University, visiting Dudley Castle, National Sea Life Centre, Safari Park, Dudley Zoo, Drayton Manor and Caves and the Fire Station.  Also,  every week, on Saturday, afternoons and evenings, young people volunteer to go  out and about on the streets of most deprived wards in Sandwell and Birmingham), sitting in McDonalds, or sheltering somewhere meeting, chatting with and listening to young people. These meetings and conversations are the basis of our work with the Youth Link Project and the beginning of all the other activities we plan with young people on peace building in the community.