Outreach & Community Support

Community based outreach work is vital to engage not only young men and women but also communities as a whole. Our outreach work is about making support as accessible and relevant as possible. We use existing networks to reach families, running services from convenient local venues i.e. community centres, estates. This is how we raise awareness of our anti-violence message and include the community to also share this vision and spread the message. Our outreach work also includes community events such as family fun days, prayer vigils upon the death of a young person killed through gun and knife violence.

“Hamza and Julian have been supporting me even during lockdown, when I lost my job due to the government shutting down events, Hamza kept me busy with weekly phone calls and catch up. Hamza also advised me to start the teaching training course during lockdown now I am a qualified assessor. Hamza is helping me look for work experience to get my foot in to training courses as an assistant assessor. Now that lockdown is easing, I am slowly fixing myself up and preparing for work. Having Hamza and Julian on Outreach again was nice we had a lot to talk about as it had been about 1 year seen we saw each other in person.“

User Service Feedback, Male 24

‘‘Hamza has really supported me during the lockdown as I have been struggling with my mental health. I live near Epping Forest, and he suggested I go for morning walks and feed the ducks. The weekly phone calls have been good to keep my mind off my depression. Instead of walks, I now go for morning runs and take my younger sibling with me and we are all benefiting from the exercise. Now things are getting better I can’t wait to get back to work.’’

User Service Feedback, Male 22

“I just want to say how much Julian helped me over the Covid period and made me really have belief. Where we were all on lockdown, my mental health was deep below sea level and Julian gave me that drive letting me know that everything was going to be okay. There was a specific incident where I got arrested for weed and they kept me in the police station for 3/ 4 days and Julian helped by corresponding with my family members/solicitor. Covid period was a really testing times, everything closed, restriction – I used my coping mechanisms that I did in prison to get me through lockdown.’’

User Service Feedback, Male 23

Prior to the Covid 19 pandemic, we organised a summer trip of paintballing for the young men from the Somali community. We had a fantastic turn out; 13 young people, who engage with CT on a regular basis came to participate. The aim was to build rapport with the young men from the community. Chaos Theory arrange many activities like this as it really helps to build a stronger working relationship.

Previously annual Family Fun Days were held over the Summer on the three main estates in which we operate where levels of violence are high. The aim was to bring young people and families together, unite communities and spread the anti-violence message. The key to affecting change within communities is to involve the community itself. We encourage mothers to be involved and that the young men, their partners and children attend. We provide a community barbecue, roller skating, bouncy castle, various stalls, face painting etc.

We had a brilliant turnout with over 450 people coming together at this event. The events were a success in giving families a memorable day out and boosting community spirits.

We were also able to engage with the young lads in each area and continue to maintain creditability and trust. This enables us to continue to be in a position within the communities to successfully prevent violence and support those in prisons.