Know someone who Needs a Room Decorating?

[sfhyouthforum]

The Sydenham and Forest Hill Youth Forum are teaming up with The Young Lewisham Project to work with young people from a local secondary school to train them in painting and decorating.

As you know, I have been campaigning for locals to give small monthly donations to go towards a public fund that will create more positive things to do in the area. We so far raise £47 per calendar month and I am keen to start putting the money to good use.

Clearly, we do not raise enough to move mountains but we can do somthing! I am aware that I need to prove to residents that The Sydenham & Forest Hill Youth Forum can make a difference and that donating to to us as a charity will enhance the lives of people in the area and not be a waste of your hard-earned dosh. Fundraising for a tiny charity is a bit chicken and egg: 'please give us money so we can fund stuff?' 'Well show me what you do and I'll donate'.

So what doesn't cost a lot but has a lasting impact? Redecoration! New colours. Fresh paint. Brings a feeling of change and positivity to people who maybe feel marginalised, are unable to physically do the work, or are too young to do it themselves, or simply need a uplifting boost.

The Young Lewisham Project train young people in Life Skills, including painting and decorating. A team of three staff and four young people will come in and wash walls, and paint them over the course of ONE day. Before we send our young team in, I will personally meet the people we are helping and assess the suitability of the job and outline the guidelines and health and safety rules. We supply the labour, the materials, and the person gets to decide the colour scheme. We cannot offer structural work or painted ceilings for health and safety and insurance reasons.

We are looking for 4 lucky folk to have a room painted, either a living room or bedroom. If you know someone who has not got the means to have their room redecorated but would gain a real lift from it, please email me, Melissa Jane Knight - mel@sfhyouthforum.org.uk.

This is a pilot and if we find after our evaluation process that it is successful and viable, we hope to continue the project in September. It may even be that those of you who can afford to pay for the service, hire the team in for a small fee. For now, we are looking for children who are under 12, perhaps in foster care or being bullied, disabled people of any age who physically cannot decorate but would love a new colour scheme, or elderly people who are also unable to decorate (so no Tom Jones types who can still swing their hips). We prefer to take referrals and the work will be anonymous, so as not to stigmatise anyone.

Lastly, any comments you have about the pilot will be useful. At the moment we have had several meetings to list the risks involved and have checked we are covered by public liability insurance and I am writing up the policy and procedures (sounds boring but is necessary for any youth and community project). If this is your forte and you have advice or tips, give me a shout!

More info on our website: http://sfhyouthforum.org.uk/blog/paint- ... the-pilot/
http://sfhyouthforum.org.uk/donate/