Our history

SYA was established in 2000 by local young people who were concerned with the poor level of youth provision within the Bethnal Green North Ward of Tower Hamlets.

Today it still is the only youth centre provision in the Bethnal Green North Ward.

Shadow Youth Alliance (SYA) formerly known as St Peter’s Youth Alliance was established in 2000 by local young people who were concerned with the poor level of youth provision within the Bethnal Green North Ward of Tower Hamlets (formerly know as St Peter’s North). SYA’s main aim is to provide youth facilities for young people of the ages of 11 to 25 years.

With various grants, support from local organisations and committed individuals SYA developed basic youth services such as the youth club and activity programmes during school holidays. With the first year funding form the Jack Petchey Foundation in 2004 SYA employed an experienced youth worker who would run the youth club, coordinate activity programmes during school holidays and develop new services.

Jack Petchey funding has enabled SYA to develop its youth club facilities, develop 3 very successful football teams (1 under 16’s and 2 over 16’s), organised information and educational programmes and delivered many social and recreational programmes for young people. Working with young people around football has been our flagship project during 2005 (second year of Jack Petchey funding). Jack Petchey Foundation was our main funder during 2005. We have been able to work with some of the most vulnerable young people in the Bethnal Green North Ward who are at risk or are involved in anti-social behaviour. Thanks to Jack Petchey funding we have been able to attract many of these young people to our football programme and some to our youth club three times per week. At least 30 to 40% of the 60 young people currently on our football programme are at risk of getting involved in anti-social behaviour and or are marginalised from the mainstream community.

As SYA has been increasing in its strength we have also been attracting more skilled Board Members to help the organisation run more effectively. As a result we now have a group of very skilled people who oversee the work of the organisation – professions include: Local Government, Law Enforcement, Accountancy, Pharmacology, Drugs Education and youth and community development.