Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mary Robinson meet young people on an inner-London estate with youth charity, XLP.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu told the young people: “It is important to remember that where you come from, does not determine where you end up.” Along with Mary Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Desmond met with young people, volunteers and staff from the youth charity, XLP, for over an hour to find out about the struggles and lack of opportunities faced by young people living in the inner city. The visit was organised as part of Mandela Day that aims to inspire individuals to take action to help change the world for the better.

Patrick Regan, OBE, founder and CEO of XLP explained that he had realised long ago that, “no single person or organisation can effectively address the complex challenges faced by vulnerable youth people living in the inner city. Only by coming together and standing with each other can we expect change – can we give the next generation a fighting chance.” The XLP Community Bus project in Islington where the visit took place is one of over 20 projects that XLP runs across inner-London where they engage with over 1000 young people each week.

One young person told Desmond, "I was told I'd end up in prison or in a dead end job," and it could have been even worse. XLP helped by providing a strong, consistent and positive role model mentor in his life that resulted in him staying in school, completing his education (he got all As!) and now he has a rewarding job and hope for the future. It can be done. The charity's goal is to "create positive futures for young people and make a serious and sustainable impact upon poverty and educational failure."

Mary and Desmond commended the volunteers and XLP staff and encouraged the young people to aspire to make a difference. Desmond told Patrick Regan as they were leaving, “I am incredibly thrilled by all the things you do here at XLP and I believe that XLP makes God smile.”

ENDS

NOTES TO THE EDITOR

In 1996, in response to a stabbing in a school playground, the school’s headmaster asked Patrick Regan, a local church based youth worker, to come into the school and work with their students and teachers to help with difficult behavioural issues. This was the beginning of XLP, a Christian charity that has an emphasis on being faith-based, but not faith-biased.

Over the past 15 years XLP has grown from working in a single school to operating in over 60 schools and communities across Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Islington and Camden. In the early days, Patrick began by hosting a lunch-time club on school premises that taught the kids more about their own heroes, and in particular how those heroes behaved. Today, on a day-to-day basis, XLP has projects working with over 1000 young people 1-2-1 and in small groups each week and engages with over 12,000 each year.

CEO Patrick Regan has travelled to over thirty countries working with and on behalf of some of the poorest communities. His passion is to see children and young people, from the most deprived and challenging backgrounds, succeed in life - helping them to avoid making wrong choices and to overcome the challenges they face - to realise their amazing potential. To do this he has engaged with politicians and gang members, victims and perpetrators, police, councils and housing associations, and most particularly with the young people themselves and their families. Patrick founded the charity, XLP that today is committed to fighting poverty, supporting education and serving hundreds of young people and their families weekly in inner London. He is also the author of three books including "Fighting Chance: Tackling Britain’s Gang Culture". He lives with his wife and four children in South-east London.

Patrick, who won the Mayor of London Peace Award for Outstanding Contribution to Peace in the Community in 2010, is also on the advisory board of the Centre for Social Justice. In 2012 Patrick received an OBE in the Jubilee Queens Birthday honours list.

To find out more about XLP, please visit www.xlp.org.uk

For further information please contact Ibi Oruwari: email or call +44 (0) 7540 725 290 or call the XLP office on 0208 297 8284.