August 12th 2019 is International Youth Day! All of this week, IACD will be highlighting the work of our UN Youth Representatives, our IACD Youth Correspondents, and other young people in our organization.
Today, we are shining a spotlight on Kieran Renshaw. Kieran is one of our UN Youth Representatives, and he is a community development worker for Sanctuary Housing’s Community Investment Team.
Kieran has been working with a community in Nitshill, a small neighbourhood on the outskirts of Glasgow.
Kieran recently updated IACD on the work he’s been doing in Nitshill and had this to say:
“Nitshill is a small neighbourhood on the outskirts of Glasgow. Nitshill has been identified as one of the many places in Scotland that endures long term poverty in forms of the environmental issues, social isolation and drugs/alcohol. Very few resources are close by for the people of Nitshill apart form one, The Noble Art boxing club. It’s run by a former pro boxer, Kris McAdam and Kat Peyton. Over the last few years the club have supported countless kids, teenagers and parents in various different forms
- Boxing lessons
- Fitness classes
- Health Improvement
- Community Events
- Homework Clubs
- Summer Programmes
- Litter Picks
- Gardening
- Parent groups
I work for Sanctuary Housings community investment team and our goal is to support local people and agencies to develop the services essential to creating thriving neighbourhoods. We have been working with Noble Art for several years to support local people improve their day to day, link them to existing community activity, create space to build relationships and support them in making the changes they want for building their community.
I have had the privilege to work with the club over the summer while they facilitated a holiday programme for kids. The funding for this programme was allocated under holiday hunger as many parents and families can’t afford to feed and look after their kids over the 6 week break. They get fed everyday, play football, boxing, table tennis, go on trips to name a few of the many activities they get up to.
Together with the village storytelling centre, a freelance artist and the kids from Noble Art we made a map of the gifts, skills, hopes and aspirations of the kids who attend the club. We wanted to change the conversation from the popular “the kids have nothing to do over the summer so they go out and cause trouble” to finding out what gets people out of bed in the morning? What makes them excited and hopeful?. It will also act as an indicator of what outside organisations and funders could do that would support people here instead of making decisions without knowing what makes that community tick. Putting the map together is a metaphor for listening to kids, encouraging their voice and what matters to them as well as supporting each person to follow their dreams.”
Stay tuned for more reports this week as IACD continues to highlight the work of our young members!
