On 21 February 2019, two young men ran into the Marcus Lipton youth centre in south London on a busy Thursday and stabbed 23-year-old Glendon Spence to death. The tragedy sent shockwaves across my community in Loughborough Junction.
Faced with intergenerational cycles of neglect and disadvantage, young people have for decades considered the youth centre as a second home. Glendon’s murder was a sharp reminder that, in modern Britain, street violence can pierce even the most resilient of spaces; another loved soul frozen in time.
One year on, the community is still healing. The incident sparked a period of reflection, giving visitors and those of us who work or volunteer at the centre a reason to pause and reset. “There are a lot of local children dealing with trauma,” said Miranda Elie, whose teenage nephew, Jerrell, was killed nearby in August 2015. Elie and her sister Amanda, Jerrell’s mother, now host poetry workshops to allow local young people to express themselves through the spoken word.
“Something tragic happens, and of course it’s hard. You’ve got to stick together as a family. But you’ve really got to take the good with the bad. You can’t have someone’s death in vain,” she added.
Over the last few years, youth violence has soared , especially in London and other major cities. Youth services, education and policing budgets have been slashed, and more pupils are being permanently excluded from their schools. In parts of neighbouring Brixton, hidden behind the deceptive, glitzy sheen of gentrification, the impact of these forces is at its most brutal.
Places like Marcus Lipton are increasingly rare, yet increasingly important ways of fighting back against societal failure. Many young people I see as a youth worker there remain in a daily state of fear and disenfranchisement while navigating life and coping with the collective trauma of loss.
“These days, there are a lot of ‘olders’ trying to groom young boys to join a gang,” said Michael, a 15-year-old regular visitor. Michael is a loyal participant of Hero’s Journey, a critical thinking and discussion programme I run every Wednesday evening. “A lot of people have died on these streets. Marcus is where we go to feel safe.”
Marcus Lipton reopened in September 2019, a month before Glendon’s killer was found guilty of murder and jailed for a minimum of 18 years. There is no bolder symbol of London’s bleak condition than the bulletproof glass door now installed at its entrance. But every week that passes brings a growing sense of hope. Our staff have been steadily rebuilding engagement, with local young people visiting in greater numbers.
The weekly programme of interventions provides a range of support for visitors seeking education, training and career advice. More simply, it is a space which young people can call their own, relax and hang out with friends away from the volatile streets.
This weekend, the centre hosts an event to remember Glendon and other local young people who have lost their lives, with musical performances and speeches from members of the community– a celebration of life to mark a new era. Moving forward with a renewed focus, we will be aiming to provide opportunities for all visitors, create a sense of warmth and security for our young people, and build upon a foundation of community cooperation.
The centre’s presence in the shadows of the white towers of Loughborough Junction’s housing estates will become more important in the summer months, when altercations between young people tend to flare up.
“The aim of the event is to recognise young people who have been taken away from their families as a result of violence,” said Margaret Pierre, the interim managing director. “It is also part of a healing process that needs to happen.
“For us as an organisation, it’s about bringing people back into the space, helping them to feel safe to be here, and bringing the community together to celebrate life – all of the wonderful things people do in this community, and the great potential here. We also want to inspire our young people and let them know that they are cared for, loved and supported.”
The event has drawn support from many local people – parents, community leaders, volunteers. “It’s been amazing. I’ve had people calling me up out of the blue, asking how they can help, and what they can do. There are loads of people coming here on the day to make sure the event goes well,” she said.
For me, the Marcus Lipton centre has offered the opportunity to learn from, serve and feel part of this community since I moved to Brixton five years ago. If we are serious about moving beyond the dark cloud of London’s youth violence epidemic, we must cherish and empower our public spaces more than ever.
In 2017, I asked my mentor, Ira Campbell – Marcus Lipton’s wise managing director – about the centre’s purpose. “Kids that come to places like this, it’s their escape from everything else they’ve got going on in their household, in their school,” he replied passionately. “It’s a place where they can be free for a bit.”
Ciaran Thapar’s book, Cut Short, is forthcoming from Penguin Viking UK. A fundraising initiative for the Marcus Lipton centre has just been launched
