A YOUTH group, started by a mother after her son was shot, has been awarded charity of the year by a local supermarket.
Chiswick based W4 Youth, set up by Sally Chacatte, a group head of HR, was given the title by Chiswick Sainsbury's last Saturday (October 15).
The community project based at Saint Peter's Church in Southfield Road, aims to give youngsters, aged 11-19, something to do in the evenings, to stop them getting bored in the area.
Mrs Chacatte's eldest son, Ollie, was just 13 when he was shot in the face with an air gun by a gang of youths three years ago.
He was on way back from school in the middle of Chiswick, meeting friends for football practice when it happened.
The family decided not to press charges even though the wound was so severe it required stitches.
Since the incident Mrs Chacatte decided youths in the area needed more to do, and with the help of friends and family set up the group in 2009, which now meets every Friday.
She said: "Rather than mope about, we thought we would do something about it. There is nothing for people to do here, so we had this idea to set something up in the future.
"And then a friend's son was stabbed in Chiswick, we started the group the following Friday."
The club, whose 200 members also include youngsters from Brentford and Isleworth, offers table football and board games, as well as music, dancing and boxing lessons.
The store in Chiswick will have the charity's posters and collection boxes all over the store for the next year to help it raise funds and its profile in the area.
