27 January 2009

Picture special: Flipside


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Picture special: Flipside

Monday, 26 January 2009

Crystal Roberts, left, and Ashley Stamp, both 15, raise a glass to the club (Rob Logan)

Crystal Roberts, left, and Ashley Stamp, both 15, raise a glass to the club (Rob Logan)

A YOUTH club has been launched in time for the half-term break to keep bored youngsters entertained.

Brixton-based charity Flipside landed £12,000 from the Jack Petchey Foundation to set up the free drop-in sessions at the Kennington Park Community Centre in Harleyford Street.

The club, which started on Tuesday, aims to attract residents of the nearby Kennington Park Estate, as well as others from the area.

Working with young people who live in Lambeth’s crime hot spots lies at the heart of the ethos of the charity, which has been running since 1997.

Flipside’s director Jean Carpenter said: “We already work on different estates and in schools with young people from eight- to 25-years-old who live in the area.

“We like to work with small groups because you get better quality time with people, and we offer a variety of activities.

“Sometimes the kids come and play table tennis or basketball or we help them with their homework.

“Everything we do is about expanding people’s horizons.”

The charity’s activities are not confined to events in Lambeth.

Last year, two groups of youngsters went off to the fishing village of Brixham in Devon for a week, where they got the chance to go sailing.

Another group was taken to France where they had a go at skiing and snowboarding.

This year, the team hopes to start youth-focused projects with the Museum of London.

Jean said the charity’s name was inspired by the idea that there are two sides to every story.

She said: “If you hear a negative thing about a person there’s always a positive aspect that you don’t hear.

“And that’s what we’re about, because there are two sides to every person and two sides to every story.”

- For more information about the youth club, call Melissa Vidal on 020 7733 1010.

Email: nadia.gilani@slp.co.uk

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