Patiko Baker’s Fort Project
Patiko Baker Fort Project was established in 1999 by six London young people from refugee backgrounds that realised that there were no free services in the Newham area for young people to explore their backgrounds and develop their skills.
The Leadership, Mentoring and Volunteering project, to which the Paul Hamlyn Foundation contributed £29,500 over two years, specifically focused on the needs identified by the young people which compliment local plans for Newham's regeneration, thus supporting the development of the young people so they can benefit and access the job market brought by regeneration. The project bridges the gap between unaccompanied young people settling and/or living in the Newham area and their ability to be involved in the community. The project, staffed by a development worker, offers motivational and leadership courses, volunteer opportunities and creative workshops. In these courses and workshops young people are able to gain confidence in natural skills that they already had and gain new skills, enabling them to build a portfolio of experiences they can put on their CVs along with references.
The project acts as a vehicle for integration by providing an opportunity to demonstrate the positive contribution asylum seekers and refugees can make to the community and enables some of the young people to develop skills and experiences to increase chances of employment or access to further education if permitted to stay.
For further information, contact PatikoBFP@aol.com
