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The need for our activities

Tower Hamlets Summer University is based within a culturally rich borough that includes the corporate hub of Canary Wharf and borders the City of London. Despite the wealth of these corporations, the borough is ranked one of the most impoverished of the 354 districts in England and Wales. Unemployment is nearly twice the Inner London average and a staggering 40% of young Bangladeshis under the age of 25 are unemployed. Over a third of the population have no qualifications.

In May 2006 over 800 young people aged 16 – 19 were classed as “Not in Education Employment and Training” in Tower Hamlets alone and a large proportion of these young people have been out of education, employment or training for 6 months to a year, with a number of these for more than two years. 50% of families in the borough depend entirely on state benefits to survive and 74% of children from Tower Hamlets are living in households on less than 50% of the national average income. Overcrowding is four times the national rate and only 22% of households are owner occupied (the national average is 69%). Many of the Tower Hamlets population suffer poor health as a result of living in poor quality and overcrowded housing.

Source London Borough of Tower Hamlets Youth service Plan 2007 - 2009
Survey on Child poverty in Britain, by Save the Children and the University of York

We continue to find an undercurrent of low self-esteem, low aspiration and lack of basic skills among the 14-19 year age range. Giving young people free access to a wide range of activities and opportunities and involving them in the planning and delivery is one way to break this cycle of deprivation. One of our main aims is to develop our Summer University programmes in line with the skills needed for real jobs in the local area.

What does it cost?

It costs in the region of £700k to mount our core programmes each year with an additional £500k towards supporting the roll out of our Summer Uni model across the capital. THSU welcomes new funding partners in the development of our future programmes and is keen to discuss one to five year partnerships.

'THSU provides students and teachers with the freedom and chance to openly share, contribute and further develop their own form of individual and collective, creative expression.' Albie Ollivierre, Tutor, Dance Fusion:UrbanConnectShine.

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