We provide a lot of activities for youth although in many ways the most effective and popular is being available for large periods of the week on an open door basis. That means we attract young people off the street including those that could be called street kids ( nowhere to go, no income and little prospects ). Whilst with us young people can use our gymnasium, play pool, table tennis, board ga
mes or make use of our computer equipment, look for jobs and training or of considerable importance to them just be somewhere safe where they don't have to do anything. When we talk to people who suffer from mental ill health we are told that the worst aspect of being mentally ill is the social isolation and stigmatisation that goes with the condition. Mental ill health sufferers are excluded from everything and everyone except other mental ill health sufferers. At the Hanlon Centre we do the opposite. Mental ill health sufferers come to us to use our facilities, gymnasium, pool, table tennis, technology, and job search facilities at the same time as Youth or anyone else on a fully inclusive basis and it works. Young people like to learn about mental ill health ( It will affect 1 in 4 of them ) and learn to relate to people who are sufferers and the mentally ill like to be included. We receive about 90 visits per week from mentally ill people some of whom stay all day. REFUGEES AND SANCTUARY SEEKERS. People who are Refugees and Sanctuary Seekers are another group who feel isolated and excluded and often treated with hostility. They come to the Hanlon centre for much the same reasons that the mentally ill do. It is somewhere safe, where they can make progress in their lives and where they will be treated with the respect all people are entitled to. At the Hanlon Centre their participation is on an inclusive basis like anyone else’s and that is very helpful towards social harmony and understanding. The Hanlon Centre is approved to give advice on immigration matters to Refugees and Sanctuary Seekers by the Office of The Immigration Service’s Commissioner ( OISC ) and we receive about 40 visits per week for that purpose from Refugees and Sanctuary Seekers. The Hanlon Centre runs an ESOL class weekly for non English speakers. KEEP FIT. The Hanlon Centre has a Gymnasium and keep fit activities supervised by qulified staff. There is a woman only keep fit program on wednesday evenings 6.00 - 9.00PM it is based on circuit training and costs £1.
