Founded 2008 Area served Surrey | Location Normandy, Surrey, UK Key people Maria Angel | |
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Type Non-governmental organization Focus Youth, Mentorship, Community cohesion | ||
The Normandy Youth Club–The N-Factor was founded in the United Kingdom in July 2008, and launched in January 2009 to help combat the increasing incidents of youth crime in Normandy, Surrey and its surrounding hamlets.
Contents
History
After a gap of not having an area youth club for over two decades Mrs Maria Angel, a college teacher, recognised the lack of out of school hours youth leisure facilities within the parish of Normandy, Surrey. She founded the "Normandy Youth Club–The N-Factor" to help combat the increasing incidents of youth crime in the community. The group is based out of Normandy Village Hall and caters specifically to youth aged eight to 18 years of age.
Aims, Objectives & Initiatives
The youth club encourages all children and young people to become more socially included within the rural community of Normandy. The organization is a voluntary, rural community youth club that does culturally sensitive youth work and has concentrated its efforts in targeting young people from disadvantaged and marginalised communities in Normandy and its surrounding hamlets, including those from the minority group communities (such as Gypsy, Irish Travellers and Showman). It provides Not in Employment Education or Training (NEET) support and mentorship programmes for volunteer supervisors and members.
Creative-based youth club programmes have included adopting the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) 'Walk a mile in my shoes' initiative, which embraces the principles of the 'Rights to Dignity and Respect'. The Normandy Youth Club–The N-Factor creative art workshops, provide a platform to interpret and express those principles through art, film and photography. Opportunities to showcase the children and young people's talents, have been organised through Summer art and photographic competitions thereby positively raising the profile of and engaging its young members with the rest of the community.
Recognition
The Normandy Youth Club–The N-Factor has been recognised for its work towards "community cohesion," both locally and nationally. The youth club has also received many national community awards and was recognised by the UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife Sarah in 2010.
Communities served
In 2010, the Normandy Youth Club–The N-Factor made the transition from the Normandy Royal British Legion to Normandy Village Hall, allowing the project to serve a much wider geographical area (including the various hamlets within Normandy parish):