Our Youth Outreach Programme
Our Youth Outreach Programme is a critical part of our Youth Programme – extending support beyond the four walls of our Youth Centre to reach young people who, for various reasons, aren’t ready to engage in mainstream services. Led by our highly experienced Youth Worker, Basil and co-worker, Michael, the team delivers targeted outreach across local estates, parks, and local hang outs to build relationships and establish trust with young people in environments familiar to them and where they feel most safe.
Our outreach work targets those young people most at risk, including confronting head on the issue of serious youth violence – an issue that remains a major concern.
In October 2024, the tragic loss of one of our young people from knife crime, Abdul Latif Pouget rocked the local community. Abdul had lived on the Bourne Estate, an estate where we regularly focus our outreach work on and where Basil also lives. His death had a profound impact on those that knew him. Basil and Michael already knew the family and many of his friends well, and so the desire to support them following their loss was instinctive.
Over the last year, Basil and Michael have worked closely with Abdul’s family and friends to support them through feelings of guilt, trauma, detachment, and grief following their loss. Basil has also been an ongoing source of support for the family through the court case and sentencing, which in July 2025, culminated in a 26-year-old being convicted of Abdul’s murder and sentenced to 24 years in prison.
Basil has kept close contact with the family throughout, and recently they visited Coram’s Fields to unveil a new memorial bench at Coram’s Fields, in memory of Abdul’s life and the joy he brought to so many.
Thanks to a small pot of funding from the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), the team have been able to continue an aftercare programme for Abdul’s family and friends; providing one to one support, a trusted space to talk through their feelings whilst also trying to bring about some small moments of joy, with meals out and group activities such as trips to the local driving range – It’s an opportunity for everyone to get together and catch up, working on the bare necessities of connection and friendship.
Many of Abdul cohort of friends have grown up visiting Coram’s Fields and using our services, such as our sports and youth programme.
Whilst they are all now too old to access our core services, retaining a connection with Coram’s Fields over the last year has been an absolute lifeline for them, supporting their healing and giving them the chance to celebrate Abdul’s life.
Want to support more stories like this? Reach out to our fundraising team to learn how you can help: fundraising@coramsfields.org.uk
