RESOURCES
Hazel Davis
discusses a new
resource for
schools looking Alone in
at the plight of the homeless
ONIGHT – with any luck – you will
T
have a warm house and plenty of food
and minimal conflict to go home to,
but for nearly 5,000 Londoners the
London
reality is much different.
For more than 30 years Alone
in London (a partner of affordable
housing and support services provider Circle Anglia)
has been providing help and support to some of
London’s most disadvantaged young people.
Its Alone In London Schools Work project has been
running for the last eight years – funded in part by
Croydon, Bromley, Harringay and Southwark councils
– delivering workshops in schools.
Recently, it launched a free short DVD and work
pack in a bid to encourage more schools to take action
and work together with their pupils to help reduce the
risk of homelessness among vulnerable young people.
Aneesa Dawoojee is Alone in London’s Schools addresses is the perception of homelessness. “We ask many students have English as an additional language. teacher to use with the video and they can deliver the
Work project manager. She developed the DVD in them what they think homelessness is,” Ms Dawoojee The school has piloted the new DVD resource. Head work themselves.”
frustration with some of the existing materials and explained, “and often the cliché is of the dirty, smelly of 6th form Lesley Harris said: “Several students are Ms Harris says there have been positive outcomes
documentaries available for educating young people old man who’s into lager and drugs. Many people think looked-after children,” she explained, “and there are for the students who have worked on the DVD: “They
about homelessness, which she said were very lengthy of homelessness as being a problem of older people.” always some every year who are not able to remain in have been able to work with Alone in London staff,
and too long. To counteract this, Ms Dawoojee produces examples the family home.” giving presentations, meeting charity workers and
The new DVD features a fictionalised (but based on of famous people who have been homeless (such as Ms Harris says it is important to teach students backers, and they have seen the work the charity does.
real situations) scenario of a boy who runs away from singer Kelly Clarkson and Tony Blair – who came throughout the whole school about homelessness and “Several students have also commented that they
home. It is only 15 minutes long, explains Ms Dawoojee to London and was homeless for a day when he was family conflict so they are aware of different types of had not realised how a simple conflict could get so out
and features “real language that kids can relate to”. The trying to become a rock star). So Tony Blair is an conflict and have the strategies to deal with them. of hand, or that they could learn techniques to diffuse
whole thing has been piloted in two London schools daft example, Ms Dawoojee laughs, “but it’s food for She added: “It is very important for them to know situations.”
and tailored to fit within a one-hour session. thought”. what services and support they can access if they have And the benefits extend further. Two Cator Park
Ms Dawoojee’s speciality is conflict resolution and The most important thing about the DVD, she to leave the family home. At 6th-form level, much students who worked on the DVD now want to study
mediation and in her workshops she works with young explained, is that it is by young people for young people. more of our work is about giving information about social work as a result of their involvement, says Ms
people to give them guidelines to stop them from The music, the script and the film were developed by services and support, not just about their rights and Harris, “and other students have gained an insight into
getting into potential difficulties. Projects are catered to students across the 24 year groups Alone In London responsibilities.” how films are made and the demands of acting”. SecEd
the individual schools’ needs (such as visual props for has worked with over the years. Older actors were from Homelessness and conflict is already covered in the
students with English as a second language). colleges and the classroom scenes were all filmed in school’s PSHE programmes as part of the Every Child • Hazel Davis is a freelance education journalist.
“The type of conflicts can be very different,” Ms real-life classrooms. Matters Agenda, Ms Harris says.
Dawoojee continued. “Some of it involves self-harm, Cator Park School in Bromley is a girls’ comprehensive “Normally we would try to get outside agencies to
Further information
some is gang-related.” school with a mixed 6th form. Students come from support us in this work, particularly in the 6th form, but Contact Alone in London on 020 7278 4224 and
One of the most important things the organisation wide range of ethnic and religious backgrounds and the great thing about the pack is that it is written for a
enquiries@als.org.uk
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ED SHOW.indd 6 8/3/10 18:59:49
SecEd • March 11 2010 7
07-english.indd 7 9/3/10 09:50:27
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