A Wandsworth community champion hailed a charity’s members and volunteers as key to over decade of success in changing lives.
George Turner, 44, co-founded Carney’s Community in 2011 and in that time it has seen hundreds of young offenders and individuals with special educational needs come through its doors for rehabilitation, but has been influenced by many members requests as well.
The charity started with boxing, but has moved on to cover cooking, food aid, music sessions, a youth club, and training bike mechanics as well at the request of its members, with Turner delighted to see them taking the lead on their expanded offerings.
Turner said: “[Carney’s Community is successful] because we’re embedded in our community, we’re known in our community, and we’ve got good relationships with our community.
“It’s their community – we created it, but it’s their community. They’re helping to instigate it and push the direction we’re going now”.
Turner was recently featured in the ‘Champions of Merton and Wandsworth’ exhibition, which celebrated 10 remarkable people, and was part of a five-month-long moving display at Battersea Power Station which finished last month.
The former manual labourer switched paths to the criminal justice system after developing a health condition, and has been involved in rehabilitation work since 2001.
Carney’s Community prioritises finding support strategies for people with special educational needs and young offenders and, according to Turner, focuses on creating real employment by removing barriers.
The charity runs in Wandsworth but covers surrounding areas as well, and was named after boxing coach Mick Carney.
He not only supported many young people through the sport, but also inspired Carney’s Community co-founders Turner and Mark Reigate.
Turner said: “He thought we should set up – we should increase what we’re doing and set it up as an actual project.”
The duo worked closely with the late coach before Carney’s Community was formally set up, helping two young people who came to Turner and Reigate wanting to learn how to box.
Turner did not have a boxing background, but researched boxing gyms and found Lambeth-based Fitzroy’s Lodge, headed by Carney who agreed to host a session.
It was here Turner saw more positive youth work than any of the UK clubs he had been in, and described the club as filled with “intimidating but friendly characters”.
He explained every person who has come through Carney’s Community has rallied around each other to help and support one another, while focusing on their own goals.
Carney’s Community also prides itself on all volunteers being role models to the next generation of young people seeking help and support, as all of them were once in that situation themselves.
Turner said: “If you’re volunteering at Carney’s, the most important thing you’re doing is being a role model.
“And so, you’re being watched all the time by the next generation.
“The younger ones coming in and they’re learning from you all the time, and we live in a society where we’re surrounded by role models.
“Unfortunately, many are negative and so it’s important for us to be able to provide positive role models, but also real lifelong models.
“So, people that other young people will see as ‘this is someone like me, this is someone who’s come from the same estate as me, this is someone who’s experienced the same challenges as me’.”
Turner also wants to help young people leave gangs by providing them with positive groups like Carney’s.
And he expressed hope the charity’s work can spread beyond the boroughs of Wandsworth and Merton.
Turner said: “There are more organisations out there which can copy and mimic what we are doing, which is offering real employment opportunities to the young people out there.”
For more information, visit the Carney’s Community website.
Feature image: Nick Cornwall
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