A vital cash injection is set to transform the lives of young people across West London by unlocking inspiring new opportunities through sport and the creative arts.
Local youth charity W4 Youth has secured a generous £5,000 grant from the London Freemasons to expand its vital grassroots programs. The funding arrives at a crucial time for the community, aiming to drive positive change and provide safe, constructive outlets for the area's younger generation.
W4 Youth was born from a heart-breaking experience when the founder's son, then in Year 8, was shot in the face by someone he did not even know. He was on his way to collect his friend's football kit from his house after school one Friday evening in January 2009. He survived and chose to take that painful moment and mould it into a beacon of hope. With his encouragement, his mother started W4 Youth to provide a safe and positive space for young people in the area.
The grant allows the charity to add more coaches and activities to support young people in the community, develop a new cohort of trainers through their bespoke Train the Trainer programme, and further support a girls football training session for their Friday Night Fives community league.
W4 Youth's mission is to offer a welcoming and safe place where young people can find support, engage in meaningful activities, and build connections to learn, grow, and thrive to reach their full potential. Everything they offer is completely free because the charity believes every young person deserves this opportunity.
Football is at the heart of W4 Youth, and the W4 Youth Rangers teams have been in local competitive leagues since 2009. There are also basketball and other traditional youth club activities, as well as a new boxing fitness training club, all run from the Hub.
In addition to sports, W4 Youth runs a successful arts programme from the church hall. Street dance and musical theatre are very popular outlets for expression and creativity.
W4 Youth provides its members, aged between 10 and 19, with open access activities all year round. Its members are from all social and ethnic backgrounds, and W4 Youth works to improve their health, wellbeing, social cohesion, and employability prospects by engaging them in sports they love, cool and contemporary singing and dance activities, social time with peers, and support, as well as the opportunity to be coaches of the future through the Train the Trainer programme. The result is a positive impact on both members and the wider community.
W4 Youth runs its activities from their two Hubs in the local park and the local church hall. The plan is to build a new home in the park in the future.
Previous grants from London Freemasons have allowed the charity to expand the number of coaches and acquire new equipment needed to support more young people in activities, which has led to improved physical and mental health, self-esteem, and general wellbeing for more young people. The ongoing support that the charity receives allows the work being done within the community to support more members.
W4 Youth's founder Sally Chacatte said: "We are very grateful to London Freemasons for their grant."
Paul King from London Freemasons said: "We are very pleased to be able to continue supporting the work that W4 Youth are doing within the community to give opportunities to young people through sports and the arts."
For more information, please visit: www.londonmasons.org.uk
