Thanks to Podio for sponsoring LNK and allowing us to use their online platform, we can now work a lot smarter and more cohesively.

LNK are raising funds to improve our Code Club in the LNK Unit.

Please donate by clicking on the above image to help us bring coding to more young people in Croydon!

LNK Centrale (Upper Mall) is a fabulous 10,000sq ft unit located in Croydon’s premier shopping centre.

Primarily used for work readiness programmes for unemployed young people (16-24) & NEETs, the space offers fantastic opportunities to hold events for young people.

The light, spacious unit has already been used for music events, employability workshops, as an art gallery, and as a retail space for budding entrepreneurs and start ups. In addition, its IT suite is used for school coding clubs as well as an open house facility for young people to job search. LNK also offer pathways into traineeships, apprenticeships, work experience and employment.

Jack Kew, 18, volunteers at the LNK Unit, Centrale Shopping Centre. He currently works part time in retail and is studying Public Services. However, his ambition is to become a youth worker with LNK.

In order for Jack to be a qualified youth worker, Jack would like to do an apprenticeship with LIVES NOT KNIVES. The youth work apprenticeship with LNK would involve, LNK roadshows, co-ordinating events for young people and working with primary school children who have learning difficulties and special needs.

Build Croydon – MakeAthon

Interaction between Technology companies and Primary/Secondary schools – bringing technology into the forefront through talks, demos, HTML, CSS, Code Club, Stop Motion Animation, Construction of a Computer, Creating a Website, Q&A and much more….

When: 16 June 2014
Times: 12:00 – 18:00
Theme: Technology showcase for young people
Format: Showcase
Venue: LNK unit Upper Mall Centrale Shopping Centre Croydon CR0 1TY

We’re all very excited at Lives Not Knives today – we’ve just heard back from the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation (click for their site).

Our Building Young Leaders mentoring programme has passed and is APS (Approved Provider Standard) approved.

This means that our mentoring programme meets the quality standard as assessed by M+BF.

Our website is currently under construction, but please feel free to continue to browse.

What is Horizons?

The Horizons Mentoring Project is a partnership between South London YMCA, Lives Not Knives and Association for Black Engineers. It is being funded by the Greater London Assembly through the Mayors Mentoring Programme. We are funded to work with at least 300 boys in Lambeth and Croydon and currently have funding until Dec 2014. The core aim of our project is to widen boy’s horizons so that they can see a much bigger picture of their future lives. Other outcomes include building self-esteem and self-confidence, with improved resilience and the ability to resist peer pressure, reduced entry to gangs and other offending behaviour. Increased attendance at school, and increased attainment.

As a result of attending the Financial Times Hackday through Croydon TechCity, Lives Not Knives was offered an opportunity to have a community stand at the Digital Summer Camp this year, held at the Hackney Community College.