Child Friendly Redbridge News & Updates

As part of the Love the Lane project in the Clementswood/Loxford area, we organised an art competition in partnership with Cleveland Road, Uphall, and Woodlands primary schools, as well as One Place East. More than 600 children and residents with disabilities took part, showcasing incredible artistic talent and creativity. From these, 64 entries were shortlisted, with eight selected as winners and digitally reproduced onto panel boards now installed in the flowerbeds outside the engagement hub on Ilford Lane. The remaining 56 shortlisted artworks, proudly presented as our ‘Highly Commended’ entries, are also on display, celebrating the remarkable community spirit and diverse creativity behind this initiative.

As part of the Love the Lane we delivered Community Mural Art Workshops, where residents and local schools came together to create something meaningful for Ilford Lane. These workshops, led by the talented Caitlin Marie Atherton(External link), were more than just an opportunity to design a mural—they were a chance to raise awareness about sustainability, celebrate creativity, and foster a sense of community pride.

Caitlin led two full days of educational sessions on recycling and sustainability as well as co-designing the mural image at Cleveland and Uphall Primary Schools. Schools opened lid collection points and encouraged families to collect lids which will be used for making the mural. Over 10,000 lids were collected by the children and their families.

Furthermore, over two sessions at Redbridge Central Library, participants of all ages contributed their ideas, experiences, and enthusiasm, shaping a design that reflects the cultural diversity and environmental consciousness of Ilford Lane. The use of recycled plastic bottle caps in the mural not only adds a unique artistic touch but also carries an important message about sustainability and reusing materials in creative ways.

On 3rd December, we hosted students and teachers from Uphall Primary School at the Ilford Engagement Hub on Ilford Lane to help us plant tulips and lavenders inside of the plant pots near the road. Twenty-one students from the school’s Eco Warriors group were present to help make the area greener.

Today (19/11/2024), we had the pleasure of hosting a planting day at the Jubilee Engagement Hub with the enthusiastic and environmentally-conscious eco warriors from Cleveland Primary School.

It was wonderful to see young minds so engaged and passionate about making a difference. Together, we planted a variety of greenery, contributing to a greener, healthier, and more sustainable community for everyone.

This event not only brightened up our outdoor spaces but also highlighted the importance of collaboration and community spirit in tackling environmental challenges. Watching the students work together, share knowledge, and take pride in their efforts was truly inspiring.

A massive thank you to Cleveland Primary School for their energy and commitment, as well as everyone who helped make this day a success. Initiatives like this remind us of the importance of nurturing both our environment and the next generation of eco-leaders.

Yesterday (12/11/2024), we held a fantastic Play Street event in partnership with Uphall School as part of the Ilford Lane ‘Love the Lane’ project. The event was a success, bringing together around 60-70 attendees at its peak, all enjoying the community spirit and engaging activities.

A huge thank you to Uphall School for their support in making this event possible – your efforts truly helped bring the community together!

Thank you to all the young people who voted in the 2024 youth election.

Votes are being counted, and your new Youth MPs will be announced next week. Watch here!

#ChildFriendlyRedbridge #YouthElection2024

World Children’s Day 2023, Youth Climate and Sustainability Forum

As part of Redbridge’s commitment to protecting and promoting the rights of children and young people, Redbridge have hosted and promoted several events across the Council for World Children’s Day. One of these events was the borough’s first Youth Climate and Sustainability Forum in the Town Hall.

Here is a snippet from a press release about the event:

“Led by Redbridge Council’s Neighbourhood Education and Engagement Team, the event gave the youngsters the chance to network with each other, share green achievements and ideas, whilst broadening their skills and knowledge through workshop activities and discussions with a panel of leading environmental experts.

Students also participated in activities and workshops run by individuals and organisations involved in environmental work. It included a Team Repair Workshop demonstrating repair skills that can help fix broken items so they can be reused, instead of discarded.

Other workshops included an art session, and an exploration of biodiversity in Redbridge. Students also heard from, and quizzed, a panel of green experts from Earthwatch Europe, Team Repair, and Redbridge Council.”

Our World Children’s Day celebrations form just a part of our wider Child Friendly Redbridge efforts. The Council is currently working with the United Nations Committee for UNICEF (Unicef UK) to become recognised as a Child Friendly Community. As such, we are committed to promoting the rights of young people in Redbridge and putting their rights and voices at the heart of decision making across the borough. We are currently working are aiming to be the first local authority in England to be recognised as a Child Friendly Community.

To find out more about our Child Friendly Redbridge programme efforts and aims, and how you can get follow the link here.

As part of UNICEF World Children's Day 2023, our Child Friendly Youth Ambassadors took the opportunity to discuss the question 'Why is it so important that decision makers listen to children and young people’s voices?'.

They discussed everything from politics and climate change to mental health and freedom of speech. As you can see from the photos below, they had some insightful conversations, and made wonderful mindmaps too!

World Children's Day Mental Health Engagement Event - 20th November 2023

The Redbridge Children and Young People’s Policy Development Committee is a group of councillors who are working together to develop new policy proposals for Redbridge. The group, chaired by Cllr Saima Ahmed, decided that mental health was one of its key priorities and was keen to engage with young people to learn more.

A group of young people aged 11-25+ met with councillors on World Children’s Day in the Town Hall to discuss the barriers that they and their peers may face when accessing support for mental health services, whether that is in a school setting, in the community or in direct contact with the council.

The young people shared that social media pressures, anxiety around their personal information remaining confidential, stigma around mental health from their families, friends and/or communities, and a lack of trusted peer support networks all pose challenges to their mental health.

The councillors took this feedback on board following dedicated discussion groups and will feed this into their final recommendations report in 2024.

Redbridge has seen fantastic results using Virtual Reality (VR) in social work interventions with young people exposed to child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation, radicalisation, and other risks outside of the home.

‘Virtual Reality’ (VR) is the use of computer technology to create simulated environments. This places users inside a three-dimensional experience. Instead of viewing a screen in front of them, users are immersed in and interact with 3D, 360-degree worlds.

As part of a project with Enfield and Waltham Forest, professionals at Redbridge Council have used VR films that follow teenage characters who are affected by a range of issues. In a short period of time, the films create an immediate impact on participants.

One of the VR films used by practitioners is ‘Joe’s Story’. We follow the story of a boy named Joe through his eyes. Joe is introduced to an older male who tells him he can help him make some money. The films show how the groomers use fear, intimidation and debt bondage; after buying Joe a phone, they coerce Joe into holding and distributing drugs and threaten him if he does not comply. The immersive experience of the VR enables users to put themselves in Joe’s shoes.

The Children and Families team at Redbridge is using VR to make sure that their work has a child’s rights-based approach. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child says that children have a right to be protected from abuse and violence; these videos help young people and the adults who look after them to identify signs of risk and talk to professionals about how to deal with dangerous situations and stay safe. The VR films are largely from a child’s perspective, which means they highlight the importance of the voice and experiences of the child.

Another key principle of a child’s rights-based approach is dignity in all circumstances, such as in schools and in other public spaces. The VR films show the ways in which children can be exposed to harm outside of the home and how their home environment can affect this risk. There are also some other VR videos about adopting and fostering that show how difficult it can be for children to be separated from their parents. These emphasise that young people should be involved in deciding what is best for them in these difficult situations; children are the experts in their own lives and should always have a say.

Across the three boroughs, the professionals who used the VR gave excellent feedback on the impact of the technology on young people. One Redbridge social worker said: ‘The young person who used the VR with me usually says nothing to me, or just gives “yes” or “no” answers. After using VR, it was the most talkative I’ve ever seen him.’

Another worker told us: ‘The young person loved it. She found the VR so interactive and surreal because she felt like she was in the situation herself. Looking at the scenario from a bird’s eye view gave her the scope to learn about situations that could easily happen to her.’

Parents said that after using the VR, they had a better understanding of what their child may be going through, felt better able to talk to professionals about how to protect their child, and were more confident to talk to their child about what they may be going through.

One social worker told us: ‘The young person’s mum couldn’t visualise what a traphouse looked like. The immersive experience really opened her eyes to the reality; she couldn’t have imagined how bad it would be. The experience brought her more on board with our safeguarding plan.’

Redbridge practitioners will continue to use the VR in 1-2-1s with young people, with their parents and in group settings.