Case Study

The ‘Say Yes’ Challenge in Haringey

Prudential 4 Youth, a partnership with Crime Concern, has been running since 1994 and seeks to empower and engage young people to tackle crime and community safety issues through active citizenship and social enterprise.
In 2007 Prudential 4 Youth was approached by Haringey Council to run a ‘Say Yes’ project with St Thomas Moore School, an 11-18 mixed comprehensive school in Haringey, London. 

Over the course of the 12-week programme, teams of school children (supported by business mentors from PRUPIM and other organisations) were tasked with generating a practical idea to tackle anti-social behaviour and challenged to develop an action plan outlining how they would implement their idea in the real world. At the end of the programme each team submitted a report and presented their idea at a finals event.

Feedback from mentors and participants alike was very positive. Joanne Clarke, one of PRUPIM’s business mentors, said “I'm thoroughly enjoying this scheme - the kids are inspiring and very enthusiastic.” The scheme was also successful in helping school children to develop their personal and professional skills.  Feedback from the participants included:

 “The project allows me to believe I can do well in the business industry”

“I learnt to keep persevering”

A number of imaginative ideas were presented and we are delighted that one of the winning suggestions, put forward by the team ‘Achieving Greater Possibilities’, is currently under the consideration of Transport for London. After finals night, the winning group from Haringey met with representatives from Transport for London to discuss their idea. The team proposed that “bus passengers should be able to text a number on their mobile phone to alert police to any trouble on a London Transport bus”. Transport for London was impressed with the suggestion, and will research how their ideas might be modified and then implemented. They have invited the young people to advise them in their research, which will last six months.