Rebecca, 16

'I want teenagers in Brixton to know they have the same opportunities as any other young person'

Rebecca was born and raised in Brixton. She attended primary school in Brixton, followed by secondary school in Streatham. She hopes to attend College and study a two-year GNVQ level 3 course in Childcare from September.

Rebecca became interested in childcare following a two-week work experience placement at the ‘Bringing Up Baby’ day centre in Battersea which she attended earlier this year. She now hopes to one day run her own childcare service looking after children between the ages of five months to five years.

"I thoroughly enjoyed my two-week placement at the ‘Bringing Up Baby’ Day Centre which helped me realise my ambition to work with children. I enjoy all aspects of looking after children whether it is playing, feeding, teaching, clothing, or reassuring," she said.

"It is one of the most important jobs you can do, because parents are entrusting you with the one thing they care about most of all in the world, and you take on the role of parent while they are out at work. This is the main reason why I would one day like to be self employed and run my own nursery."

Lambeth Connexions

Rebecca added: "Without the help of Lambeth Council’s Connexions Service I might not ever have realised this ambition. The staff helped me to find work placements, write my CV, research childcare courses, and provide interview advice. Without them I would have found these things very difficult to do by myself, and I could have easily ended up without having a clear idea of what I’d like to do with my future. This kind of service is vital as it enables young people to be more self-confident and aspire to do get on and do something with their lives."

"I’ve grown up in Brixton all my life, and although it doesn’t have the best reputation, it’s not a bad area to live in. Once you get to know people you appreciate the fact that you live in a vibrant area with many different cultures and backgrounds. The only way to improve the area further is to inspire Brixton’s youth to go on and do something positive with their lives – as Lambeth Council has provided through services such as the Connexions Centre. I want teenagers and young people in Brixton to know that no matter what their social standing is in life, they have the same opportunities as any other young person – they just need to take them."

Lambeth Connexions Service, which offers a huge range of professional and educational support to young people, has reduced the number of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment, or training to 300 in the past year. The service, based in Acre Lane, has ensured that young leaving Lambeth secondary schools are now more likely to progress to education or training than pupils in any other Inner London Authority. For more information contact Lambeth Connexions Service on 020 7926 7642.

Rebecca, 16

Lambeth Connexions

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