The after school patrols uses local knowledge, training, and community ties to prevent conflict and protect Croydon’s young people
Croydon Community Action Group keep children safe during after school hours
On a cold November afternoon, Sister Love and the other members of Croydon Community Action Guardians are watching over lower year students making their way out of Harris Invictus Academy Croydon. They are greeted by fist bumps and smiles as they try to keep warm during the sudden cold snap.
“I feel like the community has been screaming out for this,” she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS). “The bigger picture is that all of us are building a community; it takes a village to raise a child.
“If we were there, maybe we could have helped Elianne.” The tragic murder of 15-year-old Elianne Andam by 17-year-old Hassan Sentamu in September 2023 shocked the borough to its core.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, Croydon’s voluntary sector mobilised to restore a sense of safety for young people in the borough. Croydon Community Action Guardians (CCAG) has become one of the area’s most recognisable groups, taking to the streets each day on community patrols that both protect and uplift the borough’s young people.
Almost a fifth of Croydon’s population is aged 17 or under, the highest youth population of any London borough. This is most visible in the town centre after 3pm, when thousands of students spill out of local schools and Croydon College, heading for transport hubs or socialising with friends.
However, this daily surge has also made the after school period a critical time for public safety, with incidents of antisocial behaviour and fights becoming more prevalent during this window. CCAG’s growing group of volunteers exists to prevent such incidents and support young people experiencing crisis.
In their distinctive black vests, the group patrols the town’s busiest hotspot areas, interacting with students and handing out leaflets. Among these are the West Croydon bus garage, the train stations, North End and Croydon College.
CCAG Director Teresa Gimenes told the LDRS that the patrols focus on areas with a history of incidents. Using their community contacts, walkie talkies and the rapid, on the ground support of volunteer Level on his e-bike, they are able to respond quickly to potential flashpoints across the town.
Regular communication with local businesses and religious institutions also helps guide their work. Teresa said: “We know the security at McDonald’s, because that is one of the main hotspots. They are not trained to deal with young people like we are.”
Every CCAG volunteer receives training in conflict de-escalation and first aid, supported by experience engaging with gangs and young people. The group, diverse in age and gender, also undertakes self defence training to protect themselves when needed.
Almost all the CCAG volunteers the LDRS spoke to during our patrol earlier this month said that emotional intelligence was at the core of what they do. CCAG volunteers told the LDRS about a recent incident at a bus stop that they were able to defuse. Two friends had been play fighting when things “got out of hand,” according to Sister Love.
Using their conflict resolution skills, the team de-escalated the situation and even encouraged the two young people to shake hands. “It gave them a sense of maturity,” she added.
However, the CCAG also supports other members of the community. During our time with the volunteers, they assisted an elderly woman who had fallen while stepping off a bus in West Croydon, sitting her down, comforting her and arranging a taxi to take her home.
At the time of their formation in October 2023, the group had around four or five volunteers who gave their time throughout the working week. The group has since grown to nearly 20 members and counts among its ranks parents, youth workers and even former teachers.
“Everyone has a reason why they are here,” said Teresa. “We all have lived experience of this, so we can really get on the level of young people.”
CCAG volunteer Peter Burton previously served as head teacher at Croydon’s Krishna Avanti School. He told the LDRS that his time in the role instilled in him a strong sense of discipline for young people, as well as a deep commitment to pastoral care.
Through CCAG, he believes he can continue supporting children in a meaningful way. “Many times, the kids who seem the most boisterous are the ones who may be struggling the most in school,” he told the LDRS.
“It seems different when we are around,” he added. “If you mention that you are a volunteer the attitude changes.” Like all members of CCAG, he shares the view that young people, especially in Croydon, have been mischaracterised as a nuisance and a threat.
Sister Love said: “People stereotype young people as thugs in Croydon. Some of them are anxious, some of them are nervous and yes, some of them are loud and boisterous. I used to think like that, but then I started doing this and it flipped a switch, they are just children. You are not supposed to feel threatened by them; you are supposed to protect them.”
The group also prides itself on its collaboration. This includes work with key partners Man in Action. They also hold regular meetings at Croydon Voluntary Action with the youth policing advisory group MyEndz and regularly speak with Chief Inspector James Weston.
The CCAG safeguarding team provides follow up support for cases involving at risk young people, mental health concerns and families. They develop tailored plans and signpost individuals to relevant local services, many of which are based at the Wellbeing Hub in the Whitgift Centre.
While CCAG benefited from £20,000 of National Lottery funding this spring, it still relies on support from local groups. “We would love to get some hats and gloves for our patrols in the winter,” said Teresa.
Despite this, Teresa and the team remain committed to Croydon’s young people and want to remain an active presence throughout the year. “The police know who we are and what we do,” Teresa said. “We take the pressure off them. The ultimate goal is one less death in Croydon.”
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