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Black Children Support group

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For the past 4 years I have supporting a group of young people from black families in my community in Rotherham. These children suffered from a lot of discrimination because of their race. They suffered from bullying at school and in the streets where they live. As a result they were isolated, suffered from depression and stress. They lost confidence in themselves and lost confidence in their community. These kids lost their identity. We saw a rise in suicides in black children or attempted suicides all over the country due to that.
I created a weekly support group where the children would come together with other children that are in similar positions and they learn new skills like dance and acting and singing (performing arts) and cultural education and just get together with other children and play games, do cooking sessions etc. We did different events each year to bring different communities to our events so that the children can show case their skills and increase their confidence as they mix with other people from different races.

This helped the children to become more confident, less stressed and depressed. Their grades at school improved and they started doing more activities at school and out of school. The children had something that belong to them, that helped them feel a part of an important movement. All this time we got little support here and there to make this happen. I used most money from my pocket. Then corona virus happened. This meant we had to close our centre. My husband went on furlough and I finished my education which meant I didn't have any more extra income. My business contracts dropped (I have a cleaning business and had 8 contracts and 5 dropped out). 
Then Black lives matter movement started and most of the children in the group are on tic tok. They started getting bullied on that website and they went back to where they were before we worked hard to change their lives.
Now because of lack of income, we have lost our building that we used to do our sessions at. I am no longer in a position to be able to pay for room hire anywhere else. The children are devastated to lose a place where they belong at a time when they need it more. We've tried doing virtual session but most of our children are from deprived families and do not have the right resources to join the sessions.
I would like to be able to give these children their home back and start our sessions and offer more to help them feel like they belong. To help them feel like their lives do matter too and they can get any help that everyone else can get.

These are good children who only just need a chance at life to be the best they can be, to reach their potential and be happy in life. Any help that we get will be much appreciated and will help to provide a good service for children from black communities who are often left out and do feel left out. Young Minds Together is the only organisation for black kids and mix race kids in our area. This group was started with the kids and it will be a shame for them to lose it at a critical time in life. Being isolated has seen them go through a lot as some of the kids do not live in happy households and it has been worse during lock down. The only hope they had was to go back to Young Minds when it opens, a place they can be happy and be themselves. Please help us make it happen.

Thank you.

Organizer

Sithule Mguni
Organizer

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