Tower Hamlets Parents Centre (THPC) enhances the lives of local disadvantaged people of all ages through providing education, training, advice and practical support. They aim to improve the health, employment status, family relationships, academic attainment, social connections, integration and knowledge of their service users. In 2023/24, they helped around 1,500 beneficiaries and are expecting to support even more in the coming year.
THPC helps socially excluded people, living in deprived areas in Tower Hamlets. They work wards such as Spitalfields that are in the top 20% most deprived nationally and particularly focus on social housing areas such as the Chicksand and Toynbee Estates that are close to their centre. Other statistics show that these areas have an unemployment rate of 6.3%, which is much higher than the UK average of 4.4% (April 2024). They also have the highest child poverty rate in London at 27% and the highest rate of poverty for older people (44%) in the country.
The majority of their service users are from a Bangladeshi background, but they do support people from all ethnicities. These beneficiaries often face barriers including lack of English language skills, needing to learn how the UK system works, a culture that leads to women having a restricted role in wider society and older people becoming increasingly isolated.
At the Parents Centre they deliver a wide range of activities, from educational to social, including:
● ESOL Entry Level 1 and 2 Courses,
● Fitness and Wellbeing Sessions, One-to-One Support, Health Workshops,
● Computer Training Courses, Volunteering, CV Writing, Interview Preparation and Job Search,
● Support for Women affected by Domestic Violence,
● Tea/Coffee Mornings, Get Together and Local Trips for Elderly People,
● Advocacy Support to People in accessing Housing, Welfare Rights and Social Services,
● Outreach and Home-Visits supporting isolated and excluded Families,
● Casework supporting Parents in their Children’s Admissions and Secondary Transfers,
● Homework Club, Summer Holiday Programmes and Day-Trips for Children and Families.
The £3,912 grant from the London Freemasons will be used to purchase computer and office equipment to support these activities.
Director of the Charity Dr M A Hannan said:
“This Grant will enable us to deliver our ICT Training Courses to an increased number of beneficiaries, who are Digitally excluded and from disadvantaged and ethnic minority communities. They will have the opportunity to acquire ICT Skills, which will enable them to access services and improve their employment prospects. Being digitally literate transforms their lives, opening up a whole world of opportunities and potential.”
Paul King from London Freemasons, said:
“I’m really pleased we’ve been able to support Tower Hamlets Parents Centre’s work in offering a helping hand to people living in some of the most deprived areas of the UK. IT literacy unlocks the opportunity for people to engage in services which will improve their lives and enable them to contribute to wider society.”
