King Charles III, along with Queen of Consort Camilla, learnt about the meaningful work Project Zero does for their local community members by meeting staff delivering some of the many programmes on offer, from coding and music production to performing arts and mental health support services.
The Royal couple of the United Kingdom were taken on a tour of the facilities by founder Stephen Barnabis and Youth Champion Rico Thai-Richards. Stephen invited The Queen Consort to visit when he met her at the Platinum Jubilee Big Lunch earlier this year.
He had been invited as a Platinum Jubilee Champion for services to his community.
They also spoke to some delivery partners supporting programmes outside the Walthamstow HQ, including Waltham Forest College, The Prince’s Trust and Leyton Orient Football Club.
Stephen Barnabis founded Project Zero in 2019 after losing two young family members to violent crime. He has been operating in the field of Youth Engagement for over 30 years, including in the United States, with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in Boston and gangs in Los Angeles.
Project Zero’s activities and programmes fall under three umbrellas: engagement, inclusion, and employment. Young people are engaged in positive activities through their weekly youth club, events, workshops, and holiday programmes.
The organisation engages with young people considered to be at risk or from disadvantaged backgrounds, including involvement with gangs, sexual exploitation and exclusion from school.
Project Zero also supports young people with further education or apprenticeship programmes, with the ultimate aim being to get them into long-term employment.
