about us all about Community Links
Our Work
Our work is based on the belief that we all have the potential to do great things.
You can find out more about our work by visiting Our Services and National Work sections of the website. This is just a brief overview of all the work we do to help people to build their own ladder out of poverty.
Care and play schemes for local children
Childcare is increasingly seen among policy makers as an important tool in combating child poverty and disadvantage. We offer free or low cost play opportunities for 2-14 year olds, keeping them safe, happy and engaged through educational play activities. Last year we 1,500 children attended our schemes.
School for young people excluded from mainstream education
Our Education Links school provides places for 120 young people excluded from mainstream education.
Support and activities for young people
Our network of youth clubs provided space for 1,200 young people to meet, relax, and learn new skills last year. Young people can also join our sports programme, get advice and guidance from our successful Connexions service, get employment support from our Future Links project, run in to one of our Youth Street Action Team workers on the street in the evening, and volunteer with us.
Training courses
We run training courses in Community Development work and Benefits Advice. Places are cheap, and the courses last all year.
Support into work
Our Employment support projects helped 2000 people into jobs last year. Our New Deal programme, which long-term unemployed people are sent on via the Jobcentre, is the most successful of its kind in London and the South East, and we run a range of other projects that people attend voluntarily.
Advice and advocacy
For vulnerable young people, adults, families and older people. We help over 17,000 individuals every year access a sustainable income, fight debt and secure their housing rights
Community Development activities
Helping neighbourhood groups in deprived areas access and start self-sustaining community projects, working across ethnic and age ‘barriers’. Operating out of our community hubs based around the borough.
Social enterprises
We run a range of projects which provide an income for Community Links. We offer a training and consultancy service, a specialist auction service employing people who have been out of work for a long time Auction My Stuff, a local events management company Links Event Solutions, an outdoors activity centre Outdoors in the City, and we have plans for plenty more.
National work
Finally, we share our learning with policy makers and other organisations around the country, running campaigns, conducting research, and organising events.