We are excited to announce that the Champions Support Network will continue running through 2024-25, thanks to support from the London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, and Redbridge and London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU).
Since 2020, the Champions Support Network (CSN) has supported parents and carers through a variety of activities, including coffee mornings, mentoring, excursions, and workshops. These activities give families a place to feel accepted, a way to connect with others in similar situations, and a safe space to share their experiences with others.
Our regular training workshops give parents and carers the capacity to better handle a variety of issues that they may face. Our Champion Peer Mentors are local parents and carers who draw on their own lived experiences and knowledge to support others.
In 2023-24, the Champions Support Network...
The CSN programme was created to link peer mentors with parents and carers of young people at risk of serious violence and exploitation. CSN peer mentors have helped many local parents and carers. They have provided important information about various support agencies, organisations and local centres, as well as the challenges of accessing these resources. They have also raised awareness of ways to reduce behaviours that increase the risk of violence for young people.
The programme is expanding the training workshops further, with a new series targeting emerging issues that have been identified by our staff, volunteers, and participants—topics include understanding anxiety, money management, developing professional relationships, and behavioural issues.
Need support? Want to help others?
If you’re a parent or carer in Barking and Dagenham, Havering, or Redbridge, the Champions Support Network is here for you!
Whether you need a helping hand or something more, or you’d just like to share your knowledge with other parents and carers, get in touch with us below!
The programme now offers a range of activities and workshops, including:
- Developing Vision, Identity, and Purpose in Teens
- Improving Communication
- Building Resilience
- Journey Out of Conflict
- Managing Stress and Conflict
- Dealing with Grief
- Supporting Other Parents and Carers
- Gaming: Is it All Bad?
- Self-Care and Well-Being for Parents and Carers
I first was introduced to LifeLine at a community get-together. I loved how anyone was welcome. I went to several coffee mornings and became really interested in the project.Â
I love having the coffee mornings each week—it helps me to discuss serious issues and lets me have my say. We went on two lovely trips over the half-term that I couldn’t afford on my own—I have four children and it would have been too expensive otherwise. My children smiled all day.
I also helped to organise the Easter party. Everyone who attended said how good it was.
I cannot wait to be part of this amazing team. Florence and Lisa are amazing ladies who I consider my friends and I know I can talk to them about anything.
Lisa and Florence are key members of the CSN team, helping to organise activities and trips for parents and carers and coordinating the support offered by our Champion peer mentors.
Parent and volunteer
Additionally, we deliver our drop-in discussion series, “Difficult Conversations with My Teenager”, tackling crucial topics such as gangs, knife crime, racism, social media, money matters, relationships, and setting boundaries.
Specialist trainers also deliver comprehensive training on youth violence issues, child criminal and sexual exploitation, stop and search, substance misuse, and the gang matrix.
The CSN forms part of the VRU’s strategy to develop more resilient families across London. By providing access to information, guidance, and connection in an informal manner, CSN is building up a long-lasting support network for future parents and carers in the community.
We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved together and look forward to the continued success of this vital programme.
The Champions Support Network provides a valuable helping hand for parents and carers, especially those who find raising and caring for a young person really challenging.
Many parents and carers feel isolated. This programme builds a long-lasting support network they can access in times of need. Through helping others, they can boost their confidence and connection to the community while helping the network grow even further.
Nathan Singleton
CEO, LifeLine Projects
