Last Friday, I met with local youth service providers to learn about some of the vital work they’re doing within the Streatham community.

Black-belt in Brazilian ju-jitsu and Director of Inspirational Youth, Eamonn Madden, explained how his organisation’s programme of martial arts-oriented discipline equips kids with the crucial discipline and some of the soft skills they need to succeed in the twenty first century. Streatham Youth Community Trust is a pillar of the local community, providing kids with the opportunity to practice arts and crafts, learn how to cook and participate in sports (among many other things).

It’s great to see youth services doing what they do best. But it’s also important to reflect on the challenges facing them at the moment. Across London, the number of youth clubs has almost halved since 2011. If we want better outcomes for all children, we have start putting money back into our youth services. These kind of early interventions have a massive impact on children, helping them achieve their full potential later in life.

You can keep up with the activities put on by both organisations on their websites.

Streatham Youth Community Trust: http://www.syct.org.uk/

Inspirational Youth: http://www.inspirationalyouth.org/