On the 20th February 2019, 16 young people from Positive Futures and four staff, set-off on a trip to London as part of the youth organisations Diversity programme.
The group consisted of young people who have been taking part in the programme over the past twelve months, during which time they have covered a wide range of different cultures. However they decided that they wanted to develop their knowledge further, by visiting the nation’s capital to examine their own culture and how diverse it has now become.
The group set-off from Lime Street at 8am on the Tuesday morning, with a packed schedule which included cultural activities as well as tourist. On the way down, some of the young people who are currently studying towards their Level 2 Youth Work qualification also embraced the opportunity to quiz the youth workers about the job, expectations and challenges.
After dropping off their bags, the group of young people and staff headed off to visit Camden Lock and Markets so that young people could have a look around, pick up some souvenirs and get some lunch. Whilst at the market, the group were lucky enough to see a canal boat travelling through a lock and the different things this entailed. This was a first for the majority of young people.
The next stop took the group to Arsenal In The Community, where the group got to take part in a football tournament with representatives from Football Beyond Borders, an education charity who uses football as an engagement tool to provide young people with the opportunity to achieve their goals and fulfil their potential. They do this through their football themed, literacy curriculum which puts a young person’s passion for football at the heart of their education.
The games were very friendly despite being competitive and gave the young people a platform to interact and engage with other young people and adults/staff from different backgrounds/cultures/religions
The following day the group headed out to see some of the sights of London, taking in Tower Bridge, Covent Garden and the London Eye to name just a few. During the day, the group got to watch live performances and get a flavour for life in London.
The Diversity programme is one of several programmes ran under the Positive Futures Youth Investment funded programme. The organisation relies on grants and funding to facilitate its work. To find out more, visit their website. To watch a video from this trip, click here.
