Hounslow Action for Youth Association (HAY) is a charity dedicated to helping vulnerable children and young people reach their full potential. It also aims to help the local community come together in a safe, caring environment.
Why does HAY exist?
Since it was established in 1986, HAY has worked tirelessly to support the many children and young people in the London Borough of Hounslow who face big challenges in their lives.
Sadly Hounslow is fraught with social and economic disadvantage. In fact, using measures of income, employment, health, education, crime, barriers to housing and services, plus assessments of the living environment, The majority of the population in West Hounslow are categorised as the most deprived in England (20%-40%) (Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2019).
For local young people, that means anti-social behaviour, crime, truancy, poor educational attainment, unemployment, gang culture, reliance on benefits, drug and alcohol abuse, family breakdown and teenage pregnancy are just some of the problems they are likely to encounter.
And, without the right support, many children and young people in Hounslow are at risk of heading down the wrong path in life.
How does HAY help?
HAY’s vision is to open new doors for children and young people showing them possibilities that they otherwise might not have imagined.
That’s why the charity works very closely with other organisations and agencies to develop programmes that support vulnerable young people – especially those at risk of being excluded from school, those taken into the care system or at risk of being sent to prison.
HAY offers a range of projects which supports children, young people and their families. They offer the opportunity for young people to learn new skills, develop confidence and make good friends.
And, wherever possible, these programmes strive to prevent children and young people getting into trouble or making bad choices in the first place. With the right practical and emotional support, they steer well clear from crime or anti-social behaviour and realise the great things they can achieve.
We relocated from the Hanworth Centre to three strategically placed centres in 2019. The Hanworth centre and pre-school services are a legacy to our community. The Hanworth Centre is now used for youth sports services and continues to be a beacon in an isolated area, providing valuable resources and services.
The move to community based sites is part of our long-term strategy to provide a more agile, flexible, and far-reaching service in a cost-effective way. Drawing on our expertise in developing community assets, we are using our new service delivery model to work in partnership with business, statutory, and community organisations to work from under-used community assets to deliver our services and work with a broader range of community partners, tapping into additional capabilities and capacity. In addition to this, we source venues that meet the needs of the young people we work with.
This relocation to new sites put us in a very strong position to meet the challenges during the Coronavirus pandemic, when we experienced unprecedented demand for services across the borough.
From Monday to Saturday, HAY’s committed, dedicated and experienced staff work with children, young people and families to bring about positive changes in their lives.
To read our safeguarding policy please click below: