Hawksmoor Youth Club receives ATLAS Development Award following transformative redesign

The award acknowledges outstanding developments that prioritise community safety, wellbeing and resilience. Hawksmoor’s transformation is a clear example of how collaborative design can drive long-term change, not only improving the physical building, but restoring trust, access and opportunity for the local community.

Rebuilding a safe space for young people

When Hawksmoor applied for the Metropolitan Police Service’s (MPS) Youth and Community Centre Safety Scheme (YACCSS) funding in 2022, the venue had only recently reopened following a prolonged closure due to capital investment in new internal refurbishments.

Facilities continued to be updated, while staff, fatigued by the need to provide limited services outdoors, were eagerly anticipating a return to the youth club. Attendance had declined due to the club being inaccessible, compounded by crime-related issues in the local area. Outdated security access points and the limited use of the building led to a temporary withdrawal of partner organisations that relied on the space to deliver their programmes.

The redesign focused on improving the physical structure as well as reducing opportunities for criminal behaviours. With support from Greenwich Council and advice from SBD Designing Out Crime Officer (DOCO) David Gudgeon, the building now features a bespoke LPS1175 B3 ‘airlock’ lobby from SBD members Premier, a glazed reception point, alarmed emergency exits and fully fenced external areas. These changes allow the centre to remain open and accessible without compromising on safety, significantly reducing risk to both staff and young people.

Initial concerns, particularly around the visual impact of security features, were addressed through collaborative planning and design. The final result is a space that feels open and inviting while meeting the highest security standards.

Delivering real results

Since the refurbishment, the impact has been transformative. Hawksmoor now operates youth services seven days a week and has re-established itself as a vital local asset. Staff report a renewed sense of safety and purpose, enabling them to focus on delivering high-quality, supportive programming for young people.

Use of the centre has increased dramatically. Total participants rose by 47% between 2023-24 and 2024-25, with strong gains in engagement among girls, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) users and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups. A previously withdrawn mental health outreach team has returned, and new external funding has been secured to support further improvements to the outdoor multi-use games area.

Crucially, the space is no longer vulnerable to serious safeguarding incidents. Where staff once placed themselves at risk to defuse situations, the building itself now plays an active role in keeping people safe.

A deserving award

Hawksmoor Youth Club’s success is the result of committed partnership working between the venue’s staff, Charlton Athletic Community Trust, local authority teams, healthcare providers, building professionals and young people themselves. Unit Manager Claire Hallinan, speaking at a re-launching event, explained that “Hawksmoor is not just a youth centre, but a place supporting families and the local community.” The development has created a safer place for the local community to connect, learn and grow, offering youth services, family support, cooking lessons, a food bank, access to healthcare professionals and more.

Metropolitan Police DOCO David Gudgeon said: “It’s been an honour to present this Development Award on behalf of Secured by Design. The works that have been completed at Hawksmoor Youth Hub, both inside and out, are amazing. They have reinvigorated the club and are a true testament to collaborative working and to the dedication and determination of so many people who wanted to see investment in this venue.

“To see how the Youth and Community Centre Safety Scheme (YACCSS) has played its part in making this space a vibrant, bright, welcoming and safer place for staff and all the users of this community facility is fantastic to see.

“It is vital that community resources, such as Hawksmoor Youth Hub, which provides so many important services for young people and families from all backgrounds, thrive, as they have the ability to provide positive benefits and outreach into the communities they serve, reducing the demand on other services and providing cost saving to society in the long term. However, venues have a far greater chance of achieving this if the users feel secure and staff can only truly focus on young people when they are not worried about who may enter the venue at any given time. This can only happen if the venue is genuinely secure.

“The incredible increase in membership numbers across a broad spectrum of users show that young people and their parents now see Hawksmoor Youth Hub as a safe and welcoming place, breaking old stigmas of this building and laying down a foundation which will allow the club to go from strength to strength.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in supporting the MPS YACSS at Hawksmoor Youth Hub and taking on the recommendations from the site security survey that could not be funded by the scheme.”

Claire Hallinan, Hawksmoor Youth Club, added: “The club now has more modern look with proportionate security which meets the needs of young people, SEND groups, staff, partners, community groups, school groups and local residents who all access and use the facilities. Even the surrounding grass area, which has been fenced, is used more by all groups and provides security for tables, chairs and gardening projects. A new parking lot and wheelchair access with wide doors makes accessibility  much easier, providing a more inclusive provision for all.”

David was presented with the award at Secured by Design’s ATLAS training event by Police Crime Prevention Initiatives CEO Guy Ferguson and South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Lauren Poultney, the head of profession for police Designing Out Crime Officers.

David presented the award onwards to Unit Manager Claire Hallinan and CACT Head of Youth Services Jeannette Harrison at an event attended by the Mayor of Greenwich, local councillors and representatives from the many partner organisations which support the centre.

What is Secured by Design?

Secured by Design (SBD) is the official police security initiative that works to improve the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings to provide safe places to live, work, shop and visit.

SBD’s product based accreditation scheme - the Police Preferred Specification - provides a recognised standard for all security products that can deter and reduce crime.

There are currently many hundreds of companies producing thousands of attack resistant crime prevention products, across 30 different crime categories, which have achieved Police Preferred Specification.

Improved security

Developers around the UK can achieve SBD awards for incorporating crime prevention measures and techniques into their developments in all kinds of building sectors, such as residential, education, health, transport, commercial, retail, sport and leisure. Indeed, SBD can be used as evidence to discharge third-party obligations under Part Q of Schedule 1 (Security) to the English Building Regulations, the Scottish Building Standard 4.13 (Security) and Welsh Building Regulations Part Q (Security – Dwellings). These awards are gained by working with police Designing Out Crime Officers (DOCOs), who advise architects, developers and local authority planners long before construction begins – and continue to provide advice and guidance until the development is complete. 

Academic and other research shows that improving standards of security in brand new and refurbished properties, helps deter and reduce crime. Reducing crime and the fear of crime has direct links to better physical and mental well-being, such as with regard to high volume crimes like domestic abuse.    

The built environment influences the behaviour of people who work, live, socialise or simply pass through. SBD seeks to create environments where the law-abiding feel safe and secure whilst at the same time causing the criminal or anti-social to feel vulnerable to detection and thereby influence behaviour in a positive way. This continues to be a key objective for SBD.

Find out more about SBD Developers Awards here.

SBD Design Guides

SBD has produced a series of authoritative Design Guides to assist the building, design and construction industry to incorporate security into developments to comply with the Building Regulations in England, Scotland and Wales and meet the requirements of SBD.

These Design Guides, available to download for free at the SBD website, have been updated over the years to keep pace with changing patterns of criminal behaviour and advances in building design and new technology.

They are a valuable source of reference to architects, developers, self-builders, local authority planners and police officers and cover a range of building sectors, including residential, education, health, transport and commercial.  

Police Designing Out Crime Officers

DOCOs provide specialist crime reduction advice to the public, businesses and colleagues about premises or property security. They also work with building developers, architects, and council planning departments regarding new developments and refurbishments, to 'design out' crimes like burglary and anti-social behaviour (ASB) by providing advice on street lighting, building and street layout, entrances and exits - as well as preferred standards and specifications for doors, windows, and locks, under the Secured by Design initiative. 

DOCOs are able to deliver site specific interventions required to help design out crime in areas that suffer disproportionately from acquisitive crime, based on local crime pattern analysis, police, local authority and community engagement and the collective knowledge and experience of how criminals behave.

DOCOs are specialist problem solvers, working every day to make a positive difference, changing lives for the better and helping people to be safe and secure in their homes.

Contact details for local DOCOs can be found here.