New Initiatives stems from the early work of Glen Scott-Thomas, Ella Jess and Paul (Pablo) Reid who were the original staff employed by Lambeth Council to run a Borough-wide youth project from Willington Road for Black young people 11-21 years.
Glen eventually left the project in 1990 after which New Initiatives fully embraced an African-centred approach and became a community flagship project for the African-centred community. The next eight years saw New Initiatives develop a healthy reputation for culturally appropriate work with young people but in 1998 the Project was seriously affected by the Council’s restructuring of Lambeth Youth Service.
Friends of New Initiatives were formed and this later became New Initiatives Youth & Community Association, a new voluntary sector organisation based in the same building in shared use with other service providers.
New Initiatives is currently Chaired by Ayoola KaBaRa-Clark who leads on Kuumba School. Ella Jess remains on the Management Committee and leads on the Akuah Programme and is supported by Ayoola and Molly Blasse. Pablo Co-ordinates the organisation and is the Founder of the ORIGIN Programme.
ORIGIN began with the dedicated support of Adisa Stephen-Ezeocha and Tokunbo Ajasa-Oluwa. This core group has since expanded to develop into a full team of Facilitators, Parents and ORIGIN Graduates. Our Patrons are Chief Omilade and Professor and Professor Gus John.
Since emerging as a voluntary sector organisation, New Initiatives has grown from strength-to-strength. The organisation has surpassed the constraints of a Council maintained youth project and is on track with our plans to establish the first Rites of Passage Centre of its kind in the UK. |
