Second from top, left: Mark Peachey from the Urban Arts Centre assists Laura, 8, in spraying her T-shirt;
Right: Taya, 10, adds the finishing touches to her clay bowl.
Below: Sharon Barbour, Peabody’s youth and extended services manager, presents a trophy to Abi Adedeji, 14, winner of the table tennis competition

Published: 20 April, 2012
by AMY SMITH

WHAT happens when you let young people stage their own fun day? You end up with a converted Mercedes jeep blasting out beats, a table tennis tournament and basketball lessons.

Young people aged between 13 and 19 organised the event at the Underground Community Centre on the Ringcross estate in Holloway.

The fun day on Friday featured a barbecue, basketball, table tennis, printing and designing and clay pot-making.

Most popular attraction was the mobile bass station from the British DJ and MC Academy. Young MCs clamoured around the modified Mercedes jeep and used the mixdesk to practise lyrics they had written over beats.

Between 60 and 80 young people using the centre each week have been working with basketball coaches, supported by a collaboration between Hyde and Peabody housing associations and funded by Comic Relief.

“We’re working with students from Southbank University in a crime diversion project to stop young people getting into gangs,” said centre manager Sharon Barbour.

Dave Harvey, lead youth worker, added: “It’s been a great turnout. Rain did not disturb our plans. It’s been excellent and a big well done to everyone who attended.”