When community workers from the Riverhaven Housing Association, whichmanages 272 homes on Brixton's Church Manor Estate, attempted to getlocal youngsters involved in a film-making project they were met with adistinct lack of enthusiasm.
Fifteen-year-old Adrian summed up the mood, when he said: "What's thepoint of making this video if no-one will watch it?"
Adrian's reluctance was understandable as the estate, in one of the mostdeprived wards in London, has suffered from a host of crime andantisocial behaviour-related problems for years.
The importance of consultation
The key to tackling this disillusionment and the problems that haveplagued the estate, argues DB Crawford, Riverhaven's communitydevelopment worker, was to give young people the freedom to address theissues they consider important. "We knew it was going to be difficult toengage young people and it proved the most challenging part of theproject," she admits.
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