Youth Work, Health and Education

www.redthread.org.uk
 REDTHREAD IS A YOUTH WORK CHARITY
WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHOOLS,
YOUTH CLUBS, CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, HEALTH
CENTRES, HOSPITALS, ESTATES, YOUNG
PEOPLE & FAMILIES TO PROVIDE YOUTH WORK THAT
ENGAGES WHERE AND WHEN SUPPORT IS MOST NEEDED.

YOUTH WORK,
HEALTH &
EDUCATION

Redthread
has, for the last 15 years,
worked within the South London
Community to provide youth work
support, health promotion and education
for young people. Redthread actively
works in partnership with other agencies
and professionals in the local communities to
ensure that young people get the best support
available with out unnecessarily duplicating work others are doing. Redthread
see’s Adolescence as a vulnerable life transition that all young people need some
level of support through. Therefore, Redthread foundation is relational youth
work that walks alongside the young people as they travel through this life stage.
Our projects work as both preventions and interventions, to enable young people to
avoid pitfalls before they find them or once they find themselves in crisis.

2. www.redthread.org.uk
 Projects
Prevention and Intervention - In Schools, In
Health Centres, In Hospitals & In Youth Clubs

School Counselling Young People’s Clinics A&E Youth Violence

One Stop Shop PSHE Lessons Mentoring

Youth Club Residentials Long Term Conditions

Do contact us with any questions you may have about our youth work provision. We look forward to hearing from you.

3. www.redthread.org.uk

Some
Projects
Explained
further
A&E Youth
Violence  Southwark and Lambeth to assist in the
In 2006 Redthread setup and developed
the first youth project in an A&E
department in the country. As a result of
the high number of victims of youth crime
and violence A&E is a gateway to reach out
to and support young victims and those
who in their vulnerable state may want
help to change their behaviour, exit from
gangs etc.
Redthread has a formal presence as part of
the adolescence and safeguarding strategy
at the Accident and Emergency
Department of Kings College Hospital in
Camberwell.  The purpose of this is to
identify and engage with young people who
have been victims of violent crime in South
London.  A wide range of reliable studies
have found that these young people have a
much greater propensity to become
i n v o lve d i n v i o l e n t c r i m e o r s e l f -
destructive behaviours in response to
these traumatic experiences.
Through contacts compiled in conjunction
with the A&E team we get in contact with
those most at risk and attempt to support
them through intervention strategies.  aspects and influences in Relationships,
Through the commitment of the staff at
Kings College A&E Department we have
the opportunity to champion events which
4.
promote a positive approach to the
p r e s s u r e s t h a t y o u n g p e o p l e fi n d
themselves facing.
Links with other Youth workers and youth
clubs form an integral component of our
w o r k w i t h i n t h e A & E d e p a r t m e n t . 
Through these links we are constantly kept
abreast of new developments and events
which have an influence on the social
environment in which we operate and in
due course we work hard to support other
like minded agencies working towards
common goals.
P.S.H.E 
In line with Redthread’s focus on Youth
Health through a holistic lens, we offer a
wide range of Personal, Social and Health
Education (PSHE) classes to both
Secondary Schools and Primary Schools. 
Although working deliberately with young
people within youth drop-ins at doctors
surgeries, and with victims of violent
crimes through Kings College A&E we hold
fi r m l y t o t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g t h a t
prevention and intervention is more
effective than treatment and post event
support.
To this end we work closely with schools in
delivery of PSHE, especially in relation to
Sex and Relationship education (SRE) and
Drug and Alcohol use.
- S.R.E
Currently we offer a programme of SRE
classes with a three part focus on:
Building Healthy Relationships, addressing
the building of Self esteem and personal
worth, the exploration of what constitutes
a good and valued relationship, and how we
negotiate within relationships in order for
these to be appropriate for all parties
involved; 
Maintaining Healthy Lifestyles,   in which
we develop a greater understanding of our
bodies and how we can promote ongoing
Sexual Health, preventing the spread of
STI’s, avoiding Unplanned Pregnancies and
the exploration of various provisions in the
area such as the role of the Youth Clinic
and how these can play a par t in
supporting students; and Critical
Reflection of your own practices, whereby
students can come to recognise emotional
investigate how well our behaviours align
with our values, develop strategies for
r e s i s t i n g u n h e l p f u l i n fl u e n c e s a n d
pressures, build knowledge and
www.redthread.org.uk
TO FIND OUT MORE:
WEB - WWW.REDTHREAD.ORG.UK
EMAIL - INFO@REDTHREAD.ORG.UK
TWITTER - @REDTHREADYOUTH
FACEBOOK PAGE - REDTHREAD
understanding to make informed
choices about safety, health and well-being, have a chance
to evaluate our own personal choices and question where
changes can and potentially should be made where
necessary.
-Drug & alcohol sessions
We also provide a a comprehensive PSHE lesson, assembly
and lecture package on the issues of substance misuse.
Young people face immense pressure in the media and their
peer groups to see substance misuse as a normal part of
growing up. In the lessons we regularly deliver to young
people in Southwark and Lambeth Redthread seeks to
demystify the glamour and mystery surrounding alcohol,
illicit drugs and the so called “legal highs”. Our approach
encourages young people to ‘know’ about drugs so they can
make informed choices that will affect their future.
R e d t h r e a d w o r k s c l o s e ly w i t h D r u g p r e ve n t i o n
professionals in Southwark (CDEP) and Lambeth (YPPG).
Mentoring
- Sports
Within primary schools in the Lambeth and Southwark
boroughs Redthread is running Sports mentoring Projects. 
Groups of 12-14 pre-selected students from Years 4, 5 and 6
work through a tailored programme exploring various
facets of who they are and how they interact with others.
At the end of the seven week programme the students
involved will have a better perspective on how their body
works, know how to perform better while participating in
sports and in the classroom, know how to get more out of
their efforts, appreciate the value of positive relationships,
and understand themselves more deeply and the inherent
value that the each hold.
The programme is split up into four essential elements:
1) Physical conditioning
2) Mental focus and preparation
3) Emotional influences
4) A deeper sense of self
5.
As an early intervention
strategy the project is primarily solution focussed, not
trying to bad mouth negative influences, but rather
celebrate positive solutions.  A thread of ‘valuing ourselves’
flows through every aspect and the students are proud to
be associated with the programme seeing as it is marketed
as an extension sports group, not as a behavioural
intervention strategy.
- One to One
Through the schools and health centres that we are
involved in, young people who are especially struggling
with particular issues are referred to us in order to
participate in solution focussed one on one mentoring
sessions.  Although no specific funding currently exists for
these provisions we see these opportunities as extremely
valuable for the individual involved and will endeavour
where possible to accommodate these mentoring
relationships.
These sessions will very much take the form of the young
person deciding on goals to be set according to the issues
being apparent to them.  In turn we support the individuals
involved in making positive choices in order for them to
meet these goals and pursue a greater sense of wellbeing in
their school and home environments.  At the conclusion of
these sessions the young people involved are integrated
into existing drop-ins and clubs available to them either
through Redthread or another appropriate provider.
Youth Club
For over 10 years Redthread in partnership with various
community bodies has run a highly successful youth club in
the Dulwich area.   On any given Friday night up to 90
young people make use of this project, coming from the full
range of secondary schools in the area.
Although an informal setting this provision allows us to
build effective relationships with a wide variety of young
people and provides a platform for more deliberate youth
work with at risk teenagers.  This has become an essential
element of the community over the years as whole families
have passed through the club year by year.
In addition to the relationships built with the young people,
the Youth Club has also allowed the development of
www.redthread.org.uk
WHY “REDTHREAD’?

PULL TAB - OPEN HERE - CHEWING GUM -

CELLOPHANE WRAPPERS - SOMETHING THAT -
OPENS UP - SURROUNDS - SECURES - GOES THROUGH
- SUPPORTS - JOINS UP - ENCOMPASSES...

relationships with the parents who have come to value the for the last 2 years looking at the issues of adolescent
service provided and the positive environment that health and how to improve this in the Lambeth area.  The
continues to be reinforced. findings of our joint project have led to the One Stop Shop
Project (a YPC in a Youth Centre) which will pilot at the end
of 2010.
Young Peoples Clinic
- One Stop Shop
- Paxton Green
The One Stop Shop project has been recognised to be an
Redthread and Paxton Green Group Practice have been innovation and awarded £60k as a result. We look forward
running one of the first Young Peoples Clinic's in London to launching this pilot in Streatham towards the end of
since 2002.  Every Tuesday after school any young peoples 2010. The model will take the excellence of the Young
aged 13-19 can drop in to the Young Peoples Clinic to see a Peoples Clinic and marry it with the y o u t h
Doctor, Nurse, Counsellor or Youth Worker to chat and friendliness and informal
discuss any concerns they have.  The ethos of the clinic is to environment of the youth centre.
provide the broadest range of services and health Enabling young people who will
promotion in a holistic fashion.  In allowing young people to not access mainstream services
attend, even if they are not registered patients, to address or tale responsibility for their
everything from their hayfever, or skin concerns through own health care to have
to their substance misuse issues and sexual health unnecessary hurdles
concerns.  In this confidential and young people friendly removed to enable them
environment we hope that young people will feel able to to find the help they
bring their friends along to spread the health promotion need from a
messages and seek help in a non stigmatising setting.  comprehensive
Redthread also runs Youth Counselling sessions after team, consisting
school on Fridays, by appointment. of a doctor,
n u r s e ,
- Herne Hill y o u t h
worker
Redthread also works closely with Herne Hill Group a n d
Practice who run a Young Peoples Drop In Clinic every
Wednesday after school.  The clinic, similarly to Paxton
counsellor
Greens, will see both registered and non registered patients
as well as input
about any health issues young people want to present. 
from other
Currently, a Doctor and Nurse are available on Wednesdays
community providers like
and Young People needing to talk through issues can see a
the Police, Connexions, YOT and
Redthread Youth Worker or Counsellor at our Friday
CAMHS etc.
session at Paxton Green.  Redthread and the practice have
been working closely together running a research project
For further information on any of Redthread’s work please do
not hesitate to email info@redthread.org.uk.

6. www.redthread.org.uk
Redthread
PO Box 59525, London. SE21 9AT
T: 0208 123 9574,
info@redthread.org.uk,
www.redthread.org.uk