MP talks with students on riot reputation project (From Your Local Guardian)

MP talks with students on riot reputation project

2:00pm Monday 13th February 2012 in Croydon

MP Gavin Barwell spent a lunchtime chatting with pupils about a project aiming to restore the tarnished reputation of Croydon’s young people since the riots.

The MP for Croydon Central visited School Council and Citizenship students at St. Andrew’s C of E High School, Waddon, to tell them about Project Change.

Mr Barwell said he set up the Project after he found Croydon’s young people were angry about their negative stereotyping in the media in the aftermath of last summer’s unrest.

The Project will include a spruce up of the West Croydon to Broad Green stretch of London Road, young people visiting and supporting the elderly, and a summer camp for 12-14-year-olds.

Mr Barwell said he hoped the students would spread the word and encouraged them to get involved.

He said: "I am really optimistic about the future of Croydon and think the vast majority of our young people are decent, law-abiding, talented and energetic.

"There are the ones that cause trouble and we do have a problem there, but they are a minority and we mustn’t let them obscure people’s views of the majority.

"The Project is also a chance to change things for the better. I’m a great believer in the impact volunteering can have."

The students put a number of questions to the MP about the Project, for which they voiced a positive response.

Isobel Thomas Steer, in Year 10, said: "It’s a great idea which will help young people to get off the streets, get involved and hopefully make them committed to other projects around Croydon."

Rachael Skeels, also in Year 10, agreed: "Not a single St. Andrew’s student was involved in the riots and I think that was mainly because we’ve got so many clubs and activities to be involved with, so the project sounds good."

When asked about whether Project Change is merely a reaction to the negative publicity from the riots, rather than the rioting itself, Mr Barwell said it was a bit of both.

He said: "The initial genesis for it came from the negative publicity, but one of the lessons from the riots is the need for people in the town to unite and work together." Year 11 pupil Stephen Holgate said he liked the Project, but questioned its long-term focus.

He said: "Will the young people who get involved continue to be committed to helping out in the community once it finishes? "We need to be targeting the people who were involved in the riots too."