As The Soul Project Youth Space, a charity which engages and invests in children and young adults, celebrates its 10th anniversary, Douglas Patient visited its Walthamstow base.

The charity, in Wood Street, provides a wide range of activities for children and young people.

Children under eight can play in the Tumble in the Jungle soft play area on the ground floor, which has summer holiday activities and features children's entertainers dressed as fun characters.

Children aged eight to 14-years-old can use the youth space upstairs, which has been fitted out with computer games, table tennis and pool tables.

The community centre teaches free courses in music production, graphic design, drama and dance for children and teenagers, and also offers mentoring and advice for people at risk of social exclusion or joining a gang.

This month it also marked the launch of its very own media house, The Soul Studio, consisting of a music production studio, film and photo production studio, radio broadcasting suite and graphic design suite.

All the equipment has been donated.

The Soul Project was set up in 2006 by Steve Barnabis after his 17-year-old cousin being stabbed to death two years earlier.

He said: “I worked for a long time in social services and a youth offending team so I have always wanted to do some kind of project, but my cousin getting killed was my motivation.

“It is a safe place for young people to go, not worry about money and learn life skills.

“In 10 years we have 3,000 young people registered on our database and we have seen three times that number come through our doors.”

While the charity seems to be in a healthy position with the amount of projects and activities going on, beneath the surface everything is not all rosy.

Some of the rooms suffer from leaks and poor insulation.

Funding is drying up and the landlord of the building has sold it on to developers, with a provisional leaving date set for June.

Mr Barnabis said the charity is on the lookout for a new permanent venue.

He added: “It is an old building anyway and there are lots of repair jobs we are not able to do.

“New buildings are very expensive but we are looking at our options.

“Relocating is in a way starting again so there is uncertainty in the future but with the right people and attitude anything is possible.

“I know there remains a need for a charity like this in Walthamstow so I have an interest in keeping it open.”

Project developer Bernadette Armand was full of praise for Mr Barnabis’s work over the last 10 years.

She said: “The charity offers a lot for the community, it is amazing what Steve has created.

“Young people love it here.

“Hopefully we can find another building, which doesn’t have to be as big, that can house everything we have.”

If you have any suggestions on a venue for the charity find contact details on its website here: http://tspyouthspace.weebly.com/

To donate to the charity text TSPY40£ followed by the amount you wish to give to 70070.