Black Country charity 786 Wolverhampton is battling to improve life for children and young people in the city. WLV News reporter Malaika Khan met with its fundraisers at an event in the city last week to find out more.
Last Friday (October 31) the organisation held a car boot sale to raise money for a minibus. This is just one of the events it has held with the aim of achieving its moto of “every child has the right to a childhood and adventure without prejudice or economic barriers.”
Trevor James Parkes, chair of the charity, said the main problem the charity is addressing is “keeping the youth off the street.”
“You certainly know in the area they’ve had murders, lots of murders recently and stabbings. If you can keep one child out of that, it’s a success.”
Trevor James Parkes, Chair of 786 Wolverhampton
The charity has a centre open several nights a week, giving young people a place to spend time safely, away from negative influences.
Trustee Matlub Begum added: “The kids that we have are really good kids. They just need to be given a chance. And if we’re not here to give them that chance, who will? This area is really bad, it’s getting worse, so we need to be here for them.”
The car boot sale was a new effort by the charity to raise money for a much-needed minibus.
“Today’s event was about raising money for our minibus”, Begum explained. “That’s one thing we haven’t got in our group. When we need to travel somewhere, it’s hard because sometimes the parents are not driving or they can’t drop their children off. So, we’re raising money for this minibus.”
Local residents volunteered their times and donated items to sell, while others came to shop and chat.
“I took part in today’s event to support the community. It’s my first time doing this, but we are all supporting each other and learning from each other. The community has to be together in everything.”
Volunteer Deqa Karani
“I got involved because it’s a community event. These events bring back the whole neighbourhood, you know, people socialise with each other again and that is key.”
Volunteer Monique
Charity 786 Wolverhampton plans to continue running events like the car boot sale to raise funds.
“Community involvement is really important for us,” said Begum. “We’re trying to get people off the streets and into positive activities, sports, mental health support, family groups. It really does help.”
“The minibus will be for everyone,” Begum said. “It’s not just for our group, it’s for the community.”
Charity 786 Wolverhampton is dedicated to improving the wellbeing and development of children, young people, and families across Wolverhampton. The charity provides a safe space for anyone in the city.