Coventry’s ‘Fridays’ Youth Club wins National Award

By Khadeejah Rahman

The youth club Fridays, started up by Tyler Campbell, located in Coventry have won the national crime beat award for preventing youth crime. The club has gained over 100 members since starting up in 2019 due to the recognition and success it gained.

Tyler Campbell, Founder of ‘Fridays’

Parents are required to give permission for their children, aged between 15 and 17, to be a member of the club. The membership is £5 for the year which will go towards running costs of the club. Ebony, a Coventry University student who works with Friday’s Youth Club, said: “Whilst I was at university I used to hear about it.

Tyler’s ideas always come from the youth, he kind of asks them what do you want to do so they implement that interest for them to get involved” she said. 

The student added, “Young people respond well to Friday’s events; prior to the club there wasn’t really much more for them to do, so they would be out on the streets, in town where there are external influences.

Creating a space where they can come and learn, have fun and be themselves has really helped them personally.” She said. 

Ebony believes that the local authority “support where they should and can, but the responsibility lies on organisations like Fridays to take action and it depends on the community to come together.”

West Midlands Police engagement Officer Peter Sturgeon said: "It has been immense, really. 

It started off with a basic conversation in the police station at Park Street about an idea, a concept; we never thought it would end up getting a national award." 

In a recent interview with BBC, Tyler Campbell said: "It was a lot of hard work … there were times where we have had only one young person in the club, or three young people in the club, but it has always been building." The club has goals in the future to “add structure” and have plans to teach young individuals radio presenting and everything it entails.