News / Together for Change
The threat to vital safe spaces for young people in Bristol
A Hollis Morgan auction sign has been installed next to the cheerful street art on the exterior of Biiig Academy in St Paul’s.
Its presence demonstrates the precarious situation facing so many places that provide vital safe space and hope for young people, at a time when they are needed more than ever.
Inside the building on Dean Street, protective covers are still in place on the new chairs in the fully-equipped barber shop or salon room and there’s a new sheen on the industrial kitchen that will soon host a cafe, cooking courses and more.
is needed now More than ever
It is three-and-a-half years since Bristol24/7 first visited the building that has now been transformed into a place that can offer co-working spaces, educational courses, a gym, music studios, advice services, a visiting GP and, most importantly, a dedicated place for young people in the area to call their own.
But, just as it is ready to officially open, Biiig Academy, which has been spearheaded by entrepreneur Anton Brown, faces an uncertain future as the building is up for sale.
It’s a double blow for Desmond Brown, who has just lost the use of a space in St Philip’s where his organisation, Growing Futures, worked with some of the most vulnerable people in the city. The Growing Futures building will be bulldozed to make way for student accommodation that is being built as part of the Temple Quarter development.
Having moved to the Dean Street building, Desmond and the small collective involved with Biiig are determinedly pressing ahead with their plans for the site – where they have at least 14 months left on the lease – while waiting to hear whether their bid to buy the premises has been successful.
“There needs to be some positive interventions in young people’s lives,” says Desmond Brown
“We’ve got student accommodation going up everywhere and the university is very profitable for the city. But what about the children who come from the city? Where are their spaces for them to achieve their positive outcomes?” Asks Desmond.
“We have a problem with knife crime, we have a problem with serious youth violence and child criminal exploitation. So there needs to be some positive interventions in young people’s lives, not just for those who are involved in that stuff, but those who possibly could be because of disadvantage and adverse childhood experiences.
“What we’re finding is, they’re just on the streets and that’s when they get into problems.”
Amid a recent rise in knife crime and tragic loss of young lives in Bristol, Desmond says people and authorities want solutions but are unwilling to invest in the long-term prevention work that is proven to reduce offending and youth violence.
Biiig will offer not only a safe space in the heart of the community, but one that is purpose-built and designed to foster ambition and aspirations.
“It helps them to feel like they are valued by the city,” says Desmond, speaking about why having this dedicated space is vital.
Biiig Academy has a purpose-built barber shop or salon, as well as a commercial kitchen
The building on Dean Street has been transformed into a place that can offer co-working spaces, educational courses, a gym, music studios, advice services and a dedicated place for young people in the area to call their own
Growing Futures was based in St Philip’s for four years before being given one months notice to leave.
“Growing Futures works with probably the most vulnerable young people in Bristol. And they usually come to us once they’ve been through lots of other services and usually because they are engaged with the criminal justice system,” explains Desmond.
“There were young kids who would come in just to have a safe space there. Sometimes they would fall asleep on the sofa. The amount of young people that Growing Futures has fed purely because they haven’t eaten all day. How can we expect them to make rational decisions if they’re hungry; they don’t feel safe, they don’t feel loved, they don’t feel listened to, and they don’t feel that there are any safe spaces.
“We’ve seen some really great outcomes of getting people back into work or education but, more than just those things, there’s a real change in attitude and hope. So to lose that space – and then potentially lose this space…” he shakes his head sadly.
Sitting in the newly renovated building on Dean Street, Desmond speaks about expanding his work from working with those already falling through the cracks to those at risk.
“The beauty of this place is that we can go up river and start fixing the fence where they’re falling in,” he says, adding that it is a place that has been created in consultation with young people and one they have ownership over.
“People can come in and use the space with guidance from youth workers so that they’re off the street,” Desmond continues.
“Because we know if you look at the hotspots for knife crime, between 3.30pm and 8 at night is when most of the stabbings take place and that’s purely because young people have nowhere to go and they’re in parks, on the street and there isn’t any guidance, there’s no adult supervision.”
He adds: “When we talk about serious violence and child criminal exploitation, we always talk about it from a criminal viewpoint. What we’ve got to also realise is that a lot of our children just have no hope for the future.”
Joining the conversation, Raphael Van Arkadie, the director and general manager of Biiig Academy, says: “This is all privately funded by us in the community. It would be sad to see it go and especially because there isn’t anything that I can see that’s a legitimate response to the increasing severity of violence in our community, except for heavier policing.”
He adds that youth organisations that provide safe spaces and opportunities are proven to be effective at reducing youth violence, yet in the current system, they are all expected to fight for the same pitifully small pots of money.
Desmond and Raphael are pressing ahead with their plans for the building despite the uncertainty because they know there is a real need for what they can offer right now.
Safe spaces for young people are in a precarious position at a time when they are needed more than ever
Anyone in a position to lend their support can get in touch by emailing info@growingfutures.org.uk or raphael@biiig.org.uk.
All photos: Ellie Pipe
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