Amazon young women's project is one of many projects that meets at Mountfields LodgeYouth Centre and is funded by Leicestershire County Council's Youth Service.

Amazon young women's project started in 1999 in response to discussing issues that affected the lives of young people. High on that list of issues were crime and bullying. A group of young women decided to do something positive and make an awareness raising video and work book looking at both issues that could be used by youth workers with young people. The project was also funded by Crimebeat ( a national charity which supports young people's contribution in citizenship projects that improve their communities). The video project was a huge success and the young women went on to work with Age Concern on a project focusing on personal property safety.

This project comprised of an awareness raising video on keeping purses, etc, safe when out shopping, and a range of bookmarks and posters. The posters were sited in front enquiry offices at police stations in Leicestershire. Crimebeat also supported the project and funded the poster campaign. The success of the group led to an increase in membership and the group embarked on their third citizenship project looking at the safe disposal of discarded hypodermic syringes. For the first time the young women carried out the research and not only scripted an awareness raising video but they took control of the filming, supported by Atmospheres (a multimedia company).
The group also designed an awareness raising card with contact telephone numbers. Charnwood Community Safety Partnership and Crimebeat provided the young women with a grant and advice. The video was distributed to all primary schools in Leicestershire as part of the Healthy Schools Initiative in 2004.

Amazon young women decided to look at the issue of drug assisted rape and ways to get a "be safe stay safe" message over to young people. They decided on designing and producing information cards and a website as the most effective way to reach young people. This project was supported by Crimebeat, Charnwood Community Safety Partnership and Leicestershire constabulary. Currently the group are working on the issue of domestic violence and have produced a range of poetry which will be available in booklet form and distributed in the community. This project has been supported by the Charnwood Domestic Violence Panel and Charnwood Community Safety Partnership. It is also hoped to produce a range of posters which will be distributed in the community including youth centres.

Over the past five years the group have received numerous awards and commendations.

  • Local overall Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Crimebeat winner 2002
  • Placed third in the national Crimebeat awards.
  • Videos screened at the young film makers awards at Bradford
  • Winner of the Philip Lawrence Awards 2002
  • Regional winner Nationwide Building Society awards for voluntary endeavour
  • Loughborough Echo New Year Honours award 2003

These young women meet and give their spare time to make their communities better places despite in some cases having to deal with personal tragedy in their own lives.Their dedication to others is what makes this a truly special group.

Please click on this link to view a collection of poetry/thoughts. If you so wish then right click on the link and select 'save target as' in order to save the file on your hard drive for viewing later. The file is in 'Word' format.