I used to cause trouble until I stepped foot inside The Shewsy

Teenager Joe May said he has "achieved 100% more" than what he imagined thanks to the Everton youth club

“People feel like this is home. They don’t invite people to their house after school; they just come here, to the Shewsy.” This is what Joe May had to say when asked what Everton’s Shrewsbury House Youth Club meant to him.

The 16-year-old has been going to the centre virtually every day for the last five years. Despite his short tenure with the club, its history precedes itself with others in the area.

The club was originally founded in 1903 by members of a school of the same name. Its history is inextricably linked to the surrounding area, and that remains the case today. The open-access centre prides itself on being a safe space, and believes it plays a vital role in keeping young people off the streets and out of trouble.

This was certainly the case for Joe, who lives just a stone’s throw away from the centre. Joe said he experienced plenty of antisocial behaviour growing up. He admitted that at times he was even involved.

The former Academy of Saint Francis of Assisi pupil, who now works at an Anfield bar, said: “The centre is so important to me. In the Everton area, there is a lot of crime and drugs. The Shewsy gives the young people a chance to escape that and not be around it. The Shewsy lets you learn new things.

“Growing up here, you walked through the park, and there was drug dealing in daylight. You could see it all the time. Everything was going on; people were running around with knives.

“I’ve been coming here for five years now. It’s changed who I am, one million per cent. I used to go around the area with a lot of other kids, and we used to cause a lot of trouble, a lot of anti-social behaviour.

"But at one point, I found myself at the Shewsy, and since then, I’ve changed myself. I have become a 10 times better person and achieved 100% more since I stepped foot into the place.”

Joe is one of the 400 young people who the Shewsy helps each week, all under the watchful eye of recently appointed CEO Vicki Parker. The mum-of-two, from West Kirby, has only been in the role for around three months - but quickly understood the the magnitude of responsibility it carries.

The Shewsy, not far from Everton Park, is located in an area of the city that has experienced issues associated with deprivation. Vicki believes teenagers often find themselves on a narrow track because of this.

The former head of delivery for Frontline, the largest social work charity in the UK, said: “We’ve been around for 120 years. We were established primarily with the St Peter’s Church. It was founded because it was an area of high deprivation.

“We are still here running today, as one of the oldest youth clubs in the country. We provide a safe space for local children from the ages of five to 18 to come and engage. It’s only a pound to come in the evening. We offer football, table tennis, pool, healthy eating and informal education programmes.

“We also do residentials throughout the year - taking inner-city children to Shropshire and Wales for social-media blackout weekends. Not using their phones for days is so important; we know this from our recent conversations.

“It’s something that young people are heavily involved in. It isolates them, so we see ourselves as a main player in reducing this isolation by providing a space where people can come together Monday to Friday, 50 weeks of the year. At times, we are providing hot meals to children who probably wouldn’t have that when school is closed.”

After moving from the country's capital to the North West, Vicki now finds herself managing a team of 15. But for her, it doesn’t feel like work.

She said: “A lot of the staff here have been through the Shewsy and are now giving back. They are on youth working training contracts and are staying here to make a change.

“They know first-hand how difficult it is to live in the area. When I first joined, I always remember one worker saying to me, ‘It’s easier to get ketamine than it is to get booze here’.

"It’s very much a tradition for many people now. Little ones see it very much as part of growing up. They have watched their older siblings come and go, and now they are doing the same. They love the staff here because they are local people who are trusted by the community and partners.”

Joe organised the Shewsy’s latest initiative, a fundraising night for the centre, which took place on Friday, March 28. Over 100 people enjoyed an evening of live music and food. The event raised money to allow Joe and others in the Shewsy Senior Club to venture further afield on residential trips.

Vicki explained how the centre costs £400,000 to run annually, and with only some of these costs being covered by the centre's local authority funding, members often have to get creative to raise funds. You can donate to the fundraiser here.

The 45-year-old said: “Joe singlehandedly did this. It gives him a purpose to be able to do this for his peers. It keeps his mind busy, and physically, he was here every day putting it all together. Joe is an excellent leader and shows us that you don’t just stop being a Shewsy member when you hit a certain age.

"We want to continue the great work we do here. So it’s my job to work out how to be more sustainable to ensure we are still here helping the youth.”

Vicki's main concern for now is to ensure "more focus" is placed on how "young boys can grow up to be respectful and contribute positively to society". She said this was highlighted in the wake of Netflix's Adolescence, starring Stephen Graham, with a national conversation being ignited, but more is to be done.

She added: "A key part of this discussion is the vital role youth clubs play in shaping young people’s lives, providing safe spaces, and teaching important life skills and decision-making.

"Research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that the closure of youth clubs is linked to a 14% rise in youth crime. In contrast, these clubs provide critical support and activities that can help reduce crime and improve outcomes for young people. Running a youth and community charity, I see firsthand the positive impact youth workers have.

"Safe spaces where teens can connect—whether through pool, football, or music—are key to creating meaningful conversations about choices, their future, and consent. Young boys need positive role models to look up to, and youth workers, alongside teachers and parents, play a critical role in fulfilling this need.

"Sadly, services have faced severe underfunding, with resources being cut year after year. It’s time for a broader conversation about how the government can reinvest in these vital services, especially in disadvantaged areas, to support our children and provide them with the guidance and positive influences they need."

Merseyside Police said Everton and parts of Vauxhall have recently been designated a Clear, Hold, Build area – a national scheme designed by the Home Office to tackle serious and organised crime and improve areas so they become places people love to live, work and visit.

As part of the project, community clubs and groups in the area can apply for up to £5,000 in funding to crack down on serious and organised crime. Applications are to be submitted online via email by Friday, April 4, 2025.