The Swift

Newham's Got Talent Pantomime

Back in December 2010 The Swift organised and put on six public pantomime performances of Aladdin.

The show was written, directed, produced and performed by young people from Newham and it was a massive success. The project was funded by the EU 'Youth in Action' Programme.

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Welcome

The Swift Centre was built in the early 1920s with a gift from a Miss Swift. It was intended to provide a place for young people in the former London county boroughs of West Ham and East Ham. It was the venue for the youth work of what was then West Ham Central Mission.

Much of the work in the early part of the twentieth century was done via uniformed organisations, scouts, guides, boys brigade and girls brigade. Indeed the Boys Brigade company continued until 2000. This was then superseded by an open youth club which continues to meet on a Friday night.

Some of the current youth work has continued the programme of the BB company. Thus the annual camp continues in a very similar format and is a place for new experiences, new challenges and for fun. Approximately half of the volunteer staff at the club and the camp are adults who were members of the BB and GB.

We have developed the outdoor activities so that we now run a number of weekend camps throughout the year; we have started an orienteering project; our Bike Europe and Bike Newham programmes engage young people in cycle maintenance, cycling days and weekend expeditions.

We have extended our sports and dance programme and will continue to use sport as a means of engaging young people. Our seniors are in a successful football team having been promoted in each of their first two seasons.

We run a number of overseas work camps as a means of giving new challenges and broadening horizons of club members.

There are particular areas where we have a wider concern. The first is with regard to young people in young offenders institutions and we are exploring ways in which we can offer mentoring support to Newham young people in prison and when they come out.

The second is in terms of community relations both ethnic and religious and we are developing programmes to combat extremism and intolerance.

Our long term aim is to redevelop the Swift Centre building to bring a building from the 1920s into the 21st century.


Latest News

Newham's Got Talent 2010 - 20th March

Get yourself down for a great evening's entertainment.

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