St James Youth Club gives space for young people

The Doddridge Centre makes space for the young people of St James End.

The youth club was recently created by the Doddridge Centre to fill gaps within the community that young people desperately needed.

photo by Francesca Roche

Head of the youth club, Tasha Faulker, began the youth club earlier this year “We started the youth club in March this year”

“There has never been a successful youth club within the area.” 

Despite the great work that the Doddridge Centre does for the community, Faulkner noticed that a youth provision was needed for the neighbourhood “There is nothing for young people in St James”

“We’ve started to develop the community side and young people are included within our community”.

The youth club covers the areas of both St James End and King's Heath, which are considered to be some of the most deprived areas of Northampton.

And with no secondary school in the area, kids aged between 11 and 16 had nothing to do in the area “The aim of the youth club is to give all young people a safe space, somewhere where they can have the opportunity to meet people and develop news skills but with people that actually care, and young people that are like-minded”

“Alot of young people are still affected from being locked up from COVID, they are not prepared for going to secondary school”

“It just seemed really important to give young people of St James somewhere to meet up and go”.

Faulkner has a degree in Youth and Community Development and has lived in St James End her whole life.