Tower Hamlets running Youth Work Week Pic: A Team Art

Youth groups across Tower Hamlets are holding a host events this week as part of a national initiative designed to promote opportunities for young people.

Youth Work Week, an annual event led by the National Youth Agency, is held for young people aged between 13 and 19 to publicise events and activities that are available to them in their local community.

This year’s theme is ‘Youth Work – Bringing Communities Together’, highlighting the impact youth programmes have on teenagers.

Youth workers will join together to put on a range of fun activities every day this week, including: Young People’s Dragon’s Den, Olympic sports challenges, indoor football, cookery workshops, boxing, and street dance.

Fazlur Rahman, a Youth Service Manager who attended a Monday event, said it had been particularly successful because teenagers attended from different areas, despite “territorial issues”.

Borough Mayor Lutfur Rahman visited an event on Monday and showed his support for youth workers by challenging a few teenagers to a game of pool and trying his hand at sparring.

Phil Long, Youth Involvement Manager for Tower Hamlets, said: “It is a great opportunity not just for young people, but also for young residents to come along and see what is going on in Tower Hamlets.  Youth Work Week is about people coming together through this common interest.”

Haileybury Youth Project centre, put on an Olympic rowing challenge, where teenagers competed for the fastest time.

Fazlur Rahman said: “It was absolutely brilliant. The Olympic challenge was really successful. Young people competed for the fastest time on the rowing machine, with one boy from Bangladesh Youth Movement centre winning an award for the best time using only one hand due to fractured arm.

“The whole place was buzzing. The Mayor was there and took part in a game of Pool, as well as sparring, but we couldn’t get him on the rowing machine.”

He said: “Around 14 people from different youth centres came along, including BYM, and Redcoat Youth.

“Because of territorial issues, people from different areas don’t want to come to youth groups in other areas, which is why this year was a real success, with a great mix of young people coming together from different youth groups.”

For a full list of the events held this week, visit amp.uk.net/youthworkweek