The post you are reporting:
Thought I'd bring this to the fore as I went to the Community Hub yesterday afternoon.
It started off slowly at 4.30pm, but within 10 minutes or so, many, many children, from about 8 or 9 up to young teenagers, turned up.
All were happy to be there, all were from Slovakia or Romania and as far as I could tell, spoke English. Some parents came too.
Some of the youngsters have signed up for boxing lessons, there was a knockabout with a football and two rooms set aside for class-room type of activities. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cold soft-drinks were provided.
PCSO's were there too and it was great to see the relationship they have built up with the local kids and their parents.
A number of youth workers, with an amazingly equiped bus, someone from Kent Fire and Rescue, a Community Warden; were all in attendance.
As important as all the above people were, one guy I was very happy to chat to, was from Migrant Helpline and his job is to help local East European migrants understand how to assimilate into the local community: what is acceptable behavoiour and what is not. In his own words "When in Rome.................."
His job is not to show how migrants can obtain benefits etc. but how to be better members of their local community. I will contacting some DDC departments as there a great need for his services.
One of the things that made me think, was that it looked like the youngsters were happy, (and behaving very well too) because they were being included and people were taking time for them - having something to do.
What was missing though, were Englsih kids, this project/initaitive is all about inclusion and integration; being assimilated into the local community.
If anyone from the local area - whatever nationality (Folkestone Road, Winchelsea, Clarendon areas), I would ask, please come along to the Community Hub on a Wednesday afternoon from 4.30pm. The kids can come along on their own or with their parents.
Roger