Youth trainer design competition is route to success

Kobi Miller, 14, won the dream opportunity to have a pair of shoes he designed made up in real life having entered a competition at his local youth club.

City Gateway’s Limehouse Youth Club ran the competition to encourage young people to creatively think about how they’d like to change and develop their own lives. The competition was run by the charity's sports and events social enterprise Gateway Motion which runs a range of activity days for young people, families and corporate clients.

City Gateway offers a four stage progression route for disengaged young people right from its youth centre through simple engagements into training, apprenticeships and ultimately the work place. The four phases (Connect, Engage, Train, Work) each have a corresponding colour (Orange, Purple, Blue, Green), some of which the entrants had to include in their design, they also had to write an explanation as to why their shoe should win:

“City Gateway have kept me and my friends away from the streets. Have you been watching the news lately, kids getting stabbed up for no particular reason - well that’s why I had most of my friends come to City Gateway. My trainers should win because they are great colours especially for City Gateway thank you so much, yours sincerely Kobi Miller.”

Kobi’s design was shortlisted by a panel of staff, volunteers and apprentices at the charity before being voted to the top spot by other young people who visit the centre. Run in partnership with Poplar HARCA the centre’s next initiative is an art and talent competition which will be judged by local residents, including Sir Ian McKellen.

Eddie Stride, CEO of City Gateway, added ‘One of our key focuses as an organisation is progression, getting young people to see that whatever stage they’re at there are small steps they can take to start making something of their life. The coloured branding may not seem like much but as they move through the different stages they get a real sense of achievement and getting closer to their goals. We work closely with a range of local and City firms to get apprenticeship placements which ensure that even in these difficult times young people have real chances of employment.”

Limehouse Youth Club is open every day throughout the summer holidays and normally opens evenings and Sunday afternoons with a range of creative, media and sport activities.