KINGSTON YOUTH CENTRE

Joe Marley a Youth and Community worker at the Kingston Youth Centre recently shared his thoughts on the benifits of Metalcraft.

Kingston Youth Centre offers a wide range of projects and activities to young people aged between 10-25 years old. The Youth Centre is young person lead, meaning if there’s a particular need or interest in subjects not already delivered by the centre, the Youth Workers will endeavour to make sure those opportunities can be provided as long as its within reason and beneficial.

The Youth Centre already offers practical skill base projects such as a bike building project and a welding project. So when I heard about Metal Craft and realised the opportunities it would provide in terms of raising young people’s employability and skill base it seemed to fit perfect with the existing programme on offer.

Since investing in the Metal Craft, our project has gone from making items for interest purposes to young people becoming interested entrepreneurship as they work out investment cost vs selling price and the profit margins involved. This has helped young people understand that the skills they have could find them a source employment.

One Young man (Jarrod) was very unsure of trying new activities as he lacked the confidence in himself to believe he could be good at anything. Over the last 6 months Jarrod has help set up the new work shop, assemble the new tools and equipment and has made several items which he has gone on to sell at cost price to family and friends. Jarrod has realised that he is actually very good with numbers but also that he understands precise diagram instructions (which I’m not so good at and often find myself checking with him first before I continue).

I think when you look at investing any amount of money in a new venture such as Metal Craft you will always have an air of doubt or caution in the back of your mind but, when you look at the quality and range of the tools combined with the value for money with in the multi-buy packs and not to forget the ongoing support from their very knowledgeable staff, I would say that its amazing value for money and that the benefits for us and our young people have far outweighed the costs. 

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