The Mayor's chosen charities
The Mayor's chosen charities are Clapham Youth Centre, Lambeth Women's Aid and Trinity Hospice.
Clapham Youth Centre
Clapham Youth Centre is an innovative, fast developing and well-established voluntary youth centre located in the Brixton Hill Ward of Lambeth. Established in 1965 as an offspring of Knights Association of Christian Youth Clubs, the project was among the first to pioneer youth work in the South East of the capital. Since then it has seen generations of local families growing in the club remaining a source of positive impact, inspiration for the local community especially young people.
At present Clapham Youth Centre offers a term-time after school programme for primary and secondary school age children and young people in the youth centre itself and in partnership with local schools.
The centre is constantly in search of new ways to meet the Every Child Matters outcomes in a way that is most creative and beneficial to members and leaders. Thus in partnership with Pret A Manger UK, the Youth leader programme was born. Now four young people ranging from the age of 16 to 19-years-old are employed in paid roles gaining experience, growing in confidence and making positive contribution.
At present Clapham Youth Centre is an active provider of 14 to 19 programmes in Lambeth working with the Commissioning Unit, and as always, looking to the future, working hard to redevelop the existing building of the youth centre ensuring that it meets expectations and needs of local young people and the community for quality provision.
Lambeth Women's Aid
Lambeth Women's Aid is the only service of its kind in Lambeth and was established in 1975 to provide safe refuge to women and their children from all backgrounds, who escaped their homes due to physical, sexual, emotional and/or financial domestic abuse from their partners.
The modernised refuge can accommodate two single women and six women with families. Ten years ago community outreach services were introduced to support those who want to remain in their homes or for women whom refuge is not a suitable option.
During 2008 148 referrals were received by the refuge but resources only allowed the refuge to support 17 women and their 24 children plus three single women. The Outreach Project received 185 referrals but was only able to help 96 women and 121 children. Of these women 12 were supported with no access to public funds.
Staff and volunteers work with local statutory and voluntary partners to provide advice, support and advocacy. As a result the refuge can enable women to move forward independently with their lives. Recently the refuge's income has diminished from £500,000 to approximately £380,000, reducing the number of women and children it is able to support and the quality of the service that can be offered to them.
Domestic abuse, still affects far too many women and children. The long term aim is to campaign for a more integrated and informed response to the needs of families experiencing domestic violence, so that women and children feel respected and supported within their community.
Trinity Hospice
Trinity is the UK's first and oldest hospice founded in 1891 and the sole provider of specialist palliative care within a 20 square mile catchment area which covers most of central and south west London, a population of over 750,000 people. Trinity care for patients, their friends and family for free and for as long as care is needed.
Trinity believes people who are facing the end of their life deserve to live every moment of their lives in the way they choose. The aim is to enable everyone in their care to make decisions that are right for them and to support them in achieving the best possible quality of life.
This year Trinity opened the doors of their new £10 million state-of-the-art inpatient centre and they remain at the forefront of responding to the needs of patients, carers, volunteers and health care professionals.
In 2008, Trinity supported over 2,000 terminally ill adults as well as their families, both at home and in the hospice - services are free to those who need it, for as long as it is needed.
It costs almost £8 million per year to keep Trinity's services available to those who need it most. Only one third comes from the NHS and the rest, some £5 million, is raised through the community.
Make a donation to the Mayor's charities
All donations sent in aid of the Mayor's Charity Appeal will be received with much appreciation.
Please make cheques payable to the 'Mayor of Lambeth Welfare Fund and send it to Mayor's Office, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1RW or you can transfer via on-line banking to: sort code: 30-95-74, account number: 273962.