Youth Works marks 20 years of youth work in Kettering and Corby with open day
The charity has worked with more than 20,000 young people since 2006
Youth Works will hold an open day on Saturday, November 21 to celebrate twenty years of providing youth work across Kettering and Corby.
The event will be at the William Knibb Centre in Montagu Street between 2pm and 4pm.
Organisers are hoping that the event will attract past users of their services.
Founder Cindy Wrighting said: “It’s a real milestone for us. I’m really looking forward to seeing some old faces.
“It’s been a pleasure and a privilege - I can’t believe it’s been 20 years. It sometimes feels like only yesterday since we started.
“We are hoping that local people who have come along to their youth groups, learned how to fix their bike, attended school groups and holiday clubs, performed in pantos and other events or who have been supported by them will come along on November 21 to share their memories.
“There will be photos and videos from the archives and hopefully a few faces from the past. On the day there will be lantern workshops, music and dance, a bike workshop and lots of other activities.”
Youth Works was set up after cuts to the council run youth services in 2006 saw centres and youth groups cut across the county.
Following a public campaign to save the William Knibb Centre, the council agreed to continue to fund youth clubs run from the William Knibb Centre in Kettering and the Connaughty Centre in Corby.
At the same time, Youth Works received a small grant to run a bike maintenance project from a garage on the Grange Estate and funds to offer support to young people struggling to find work after leaving school.
Over the past 20 years they have put on more than 40 holiday clubs, supported street dancers, musicians and artists – including James Acaster, their current patron, who used the William Knibb Centre to practice with his band.
Ten young street dancers from the Knibb went to complete professional dance training and went on to perform in venues around the world, including the West End.
Two local music producers who started at the Knibb now produce well-known artists including rapper Central Cee.
The local charity has facilitated 10 Christmas lantern parades and run four different programmes for young unemployed people.
They currently run a small school for students who struggle in mainstream, educational programmes in local schools and offer counselling, support and group work to young people struggling with their mental health as well as youth activities.
Since 2006, Youth Works have worked with more than 20,000 young people. Highlights of the twenty years have included:
- Supporting young people to write and perform their own pantomimes at the Lighthouse and Masque theatres
- Taking groups on week long boat trips to the Thames Estuary and North Sea
- Having groups based at the Knibb win national street dance competitions
- Setting up LGBTQ+ groups for local young people (now 15 years old)
- Reopening the Keystone Centre in 2015
- Supporting Johnny’s Happy Place to get going and working with them over the last 14 years
- Opening Café Oak in Geddington, to provide training to young people