Jumping off buildings, balancing on rails and somersaulting off walls may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for a group of youngsters this is all in a days work.

A new club, aims to get youths in Marsh Farm off the streets through freerunning in a safe environment.

It is a physical art similiar to gymnastics but done in urban and more rural areas cluttered with obstacles. Movements are performed in the most stylish way possible by vaults, acrobatics and street stunts.
The club is part of The YWYDA (Young Warriors Youth Develpment

Academy). It is the brainchild of 41-year-old, club organiser Victor Evelyn, and helps youngsters into finding exactly what they want and what can be achieved in life. The academy also has other initiatives one of them being BRAPPS ( Better Living And Positive Parenting Society), which also runs in Marsh Farm.

Victor, who is also a Wing Chun instuctor (a form of Kung Fu), organised the freerunning club along with one of his students, Nathanial Sereaton, earlier this year and classes have resumed this month.

They felt a need for one to be in Marsh Farm because of its popularity. When asked how popular freerunning is, he said: "It's massive - numbers are going up every week. In just a couple of months, at least 35 youngsters were joined and coming every week.

"It's obviously a young person sport but anyone can do it if they have good stamina, and good upper body strength."

The club teaches freerunning techniques such as someraults, vaults, handstands and how to jump, land and roll properly. Crash mats, safety matting, trampets, vaulting equipment are used aswell as qualified and insured staff on hand.

Victor warned that if freerunning isn't practised properly it can be very dangerous. He said: "Where people jump into uncertain things or objects, any injury can happen. That's why it should be first done in a safer environment."

Germaine Gill, 19, of Marsh Farm is one of the staff members at the club who teaches some of the youngsters. He said: " Its popular with young kids. We're trying to make it more known to adults that freerunning can be practised in a safe environment and is not just jumping off buildings."

Victor added: "We use the obvious link with martial arts to bring fun and exercise to the youth who love this new urban revolution. Parkour is probably going to be a sport - we're gonna make it into a sport."

The club is to have a place of its own as Victor plans on building a fully eqiupped gymnasium in Luton, but funding is yet to be secured.
He said: "I need £250,000 to get it up and running for three years and then it'll be self sufficient."

The Wednesday classes take place between 6pm and 8pm in the CERC Building, The Moakes, Marsh Farm. For further details visit www.warriorsworkshop.com or call Victor on 07787 986471.