The History of The Paradise Zone Youth Centre
When I asked Dean Straw (the original Youth Worker of The Paradise Zone Youth Centre) to provide a history of the club for this website, this is the history he gave me:
We did stuff. We did more stuff. Stuff is still being done.
Dean managed quite eloquently to put into words the whole point of The Paradise Zone Youth Centre in that understated way of his. When he put the club together he did what was needed to be done and more and we are continuing to do that.
Below is a rough timeline which expands somewhat on our history but won’t have the real markers in time when someone discovers they are good at something and decide to go to university and or when someone makes a friend that when they grow up they marry or when someone who used to come to club comes to the door with their child to start at club. No this is the stuff that we did and is still being done and will continue to be stuff we do. And this is some of the other ‘history’ with dates and other stuff.
THIS IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING PUT TOGETHER PLEASE CONTRIBUTE
How Some Stuff Happened – 20 years in pictures
From before the official opening of The Paradise Zone Youth Centre to how it looks today. From the old musty unused youth hall to two floors of purpose built/renovated youth centre. Changing with the times but keeping the same values throughout.
| 1993 | June – No youth provision at The oldest Salvation Army Corp in the world. Officers Stewart Grinstead, a former Youth Work professional and Heather Grinstead a qualified and experienced Teacher start junior clubs and have a vision for Project Paradise |
| 1994 | Jan 23rd Dean Straw moves from a small village in Derbyshire to arrives in London, to live in an attic sleeping on an airbed and raise funds, design and plan the Paradise Zone Youth Centre as a volunteer 9 months full time and then become a paid Youth Worker. |
| 1994 | July 1st Dean is officially employed as Youth Worker
The Paradise Zone Youth Centre opens its doors in the Youth Hall of the oldest surviving Salvation Army Corps in the world (with Dean Straw (Youth Worker) & Stewart & Heather Grinstead (C/Os). |
| 1994
Sep |
1st weekend in September first refurbishment of club. Sue Mallia spends her 18th Birthday painting club and knocking hatch hole through |
| 1994
Nov |
Official opening of the Paradise Zone |
| 1995 | 20-22 Feb Residential to Derbyshire, Notts Museum & Sherwood Forest, Clowne SA & YC & Peak District & Swimming
Fishing trip to Whitby 3 days Dean begins his BA in YW at YMCA |
| 1996 | July 4th as part of Sexism theme Roz runs session on Sexism in the Media
Dec 18th Stars in Your Eyes Christmas Disco Jane wins as Alanis Morisette |
| 1997 | Feasibility Study for Extension and Refurbishment of Centre
Easter Video project |
| 1997 | Summer – 12 young people got to Cairngorms in Aviemore canoeing, climbing, skiing, quad biking |
| Emma Ali starts her DofE volunteering | |
| 1998 | Dean qualifies with BA in YW |
| 2001 | April – July Roz & Richard run club while Dean has and recovers from shoulder operation.
11th to 19th August – Adventure Week in Villeneuve, Northern Italy. We were camping, kayaking, canoeing, gorge walking, abseiling, archery, climbing, white-water rafting and other outdoor activities. |
| 2002 | November 8-10 Hindleap Warren |
| 2003 | March 4th Roz employed for 1 session a week as Creative Arts Worker |
| 2003 | 27th -30th May Young Leader expedition on Pembrokshire Coastal Path |
| 2004 | 17-25 Jan Ski trip to La Clusaz France |
| 2004 | Rome trip |
| HRH Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh visits club (16th March) | |
| Dean leaves the centre in the hands of Roz & Richard, after 10 years.
Sept 6th Roz employed as Youth Worker |
|
| 2005 | May 3rd to May 30th 2008 Emma is emplyed as Youth Worker and leaves to be a primary school teacher. |
| 2005 | Make Poverty History March in Edinburgh |
| 2007 | Trip to Nairobi Kenya with volunteering and peer-education in first aid at Children’s Home and running funday in Mitumba Slum and Safari in Aboseli Park |
| 2008 | Jon is employed as youth worker |
| 201?? | India Residential ( Mumbai & Hampi) + providing donations of equipment & volunteering at children’s centre |
| 2014 | Jon returns with a group to Hindleap Warren, a place he remembers when he was their age. |
| 2015 | |
| 2016 |
The Paradise Zone Youth Centre 