£300k Lottery boost for Norwich youth project 

A church and community-based youth project near Norwich has been awarded over £300,000 from the National Lottery to help it expand the work it does with the young people of Sprowston and Old Catton.

Sprowston Youth Engagement Project (SYEP) received a £319,255 grant over three years from the National Lottery. The money will help increase SYEP’s resources in focusing on supporting 500 to 600 young people a year through a range of activities and individual mentoring. 

 

Work will include a focus on the issues of knife crime and anti-social behaviour, helping young people with the challenges of mental health issues, including 1-to-1 support, while also building better links with other community groups and organisations who work with young people.  

 

Along with its range of activities and mentoring, SYEP is also developing an Urban Adventure Garden where young people can meet and engage with a range of projects aimed at helping and developing their life skills.

 

Rev Canon Simon Stokes, Chair of SYEP Trustees, said: “In its tenth year of supporting young people this generous grant from the National Lottery will help give Clare Lincoln our Project Lead and the team at SYEP the ability to reach out to even more young people and make a difference in their lives while at the same time helping the local community.”

 

SYEP was established by Clare Lincoln and Rev Canon Simon Stokes, in 2012 in collaboration with local churches and community representatives, following an approach by a local PCSO looking for help to set up permanent youth provision in the area. In 2014 it registered as a charity.

 

Following consultation with partners and young people SYEP was born as a youth café providing a safe space where young people can engage with friends and build trust and rapport with trained volunteers and staff.  Since 2012 it has grown and developed considerably, has supported over 2000 young people and won many awards.

 

Rev Canon Stokes said: “SYEP now has a strong reputation and is highly valued by the communities we serve.  We deliver projects six days a week, open to any young person, particularly those attending Sprowston Community Academy.  We focus on young people aged between 11 and 18 (25 if they have learning difficulties) and young adults aged 18-24.

“Our mission is to provide high-quality positive activities and personal development for local young people and young adults to raise aspirations, increase resilience, improve physical and mental well-being so that they participate in society as independent, mature and responsible individuals.”

 

syep.co.uk

 

Pictured above are young people from SYEP. Picture from SYEP.