‘Young people are the bedrock of our society’: Youth centre opens in Canada Water

A charity has opened a new youth centre in Canada Water, offering a free, safe space for young people to learn new skills and socialise.

The centre has been opened by Billy Youth Engagement Project (BYEP), a charity dedicated to supporting young people in London.

Bienvenu Kitu, founder of BYEP said: “Young people are the bedrock of our society and supporting their development should be a priority in all regions.”

This is the first youth centre BYEP has launched in South London, with two existing sites already up and running in Tottenham and Brentford. 

BYEP’s youth clubs are free and offer educational support including maths tuition, training on computers and coding, CV advice, homework support and counselling, along with fun activities like basketball, football, cooking classes, picnics and other group games. 

The new centre will have a games area and an education area, with a qualified teacher present in the evenings to assist children with school work. 

Mr Kitu said: “We are proud to have opened a third centre in London to help achieve our objective of enhancing the lives of young people who otherwise may not have access to the mentoring, education and leisure opportunities that our organisation provides.”

An opening event for the Canada Water centre was held on October 29, which welcomed more than 75 attendees including the Mayor of Southwark, councillor Naima Ali.

She said: “We are thrilled to welcome BYEP to the borough of Southwark and look forward to seeing the positive impact the organisation will have on our community.” 

Pictured top: The new BYEP youth centre in Canada Water (Picture: BYEP)