Shadow People (www.wcmt.org.uk)

Throughout my journey in life I have encountered many amazing people whose stories have gone with them to their grave, have not been told, been ignored, or have been too uncomfortable for many to hear. Having been part of Baltimore's inner city community I have heard and listened to many stories from those I refer to as ‘shadow people’

These individuals are always present in our lives, but linger in the background. Many ‘shadow people’ are socially labelled as ‘Hard to access’ or ‘Hard to reach’. In truth they are neither. They merely exist in their own world of darkness and fear, a world that they are familiar with, and one that generates fear within us. Other ‘shadow people’ are victims of circumstance; losing loved one’s in tragic circumstances, struggling with a terminal illness, coping with a mid-life crisis, or struggling with the day to day running of having a mental illness. The need for space to reflect, think, have fun, and generally explore the world has diminished over the years. As a child growing up I remember, how much space I used to occupy, when streets were safe, youth clubs were about adventure, and open spaces weren’t restricted. Young people now share stories of not being allowed into shops, where shopping centre’s restrict their movement, older people feel a threat from their presence, combined with the daily struggles to occupy space in their own houses.

Being a step-child who doesn’t have a bedroom, living in an environment which has limited access to facilities such as sports, parks, outward bound, and so on, has created a generation craving their own space. We now have young people who ‘ring fence’ space in their communities and will defend the right to occupy it by ‘post code’ designation.Take crumbling inner city communities, who are starved of resources, with people living on the edge, where the daily battle to keep young people off the streets is being lost. Combine this with a volatile, but coping generation , who are fed up of being the target for media sensationalism, the police, and an assortment of corrupt individuals, hell bent on exploiting the crumbling infrastructure, and you have Shadow People.

Most of all their stories about people, community, survival, a determination to succeed, and testimonies that must be heard.


Peace