There have been concerns about young people around the Vestry Hall and Spital Hill area for many months. Local youth workers and organisations were already discussing how they could work together to engage the young men and support them.
Following the death of Deeq Ali on Spital Hill in October, local youth organisations were able to respond quickly and provide immediate support at the Burngreave Vestry Hall.
In the first week after the shooting, the Vestry Hall was open every day. From now until Christmas, it will be open 3 days a week – Wednesday and Friday 4- 8pm and Sunday 3-7pm. Alongside being a safe place to socialise, young people will be able to get support from youth workers and get help to stay in education and find employment.
Local youth worker Diane Haimeed said:
“This has been a difficult time for young people and having somewhere safe for them to come and be together has been really important for them. It has also helped us to build better relationships with the young people and develop plans to ensure that young people's voices are heard and that they are at the forefront of decisions bring made.”
Jenny Tibbles, Project Coordinator at Ellesmere Youth Project, said,
“This provision has been really well used by young people. It’s very important that it continues. It has been great to see everyone working together and we hope it can continue into the future.”
The project at the Vestry Hall is a collaboration between Sheffield Futures, the Yemeni Community Association and Ellesmere Youth Project, and has been possible through the dedication of local youth workers.