Vicki founded A.P.P.L.E Arts Centre in Acton Park - a youth centre where young people can come to play, learn and be creative. The centre has a very close-knit family feel and she hopes to give everyone who comes a sense of belonging and a happy childhood like she had. The film was created by a group of young people from Acton as part of a Chocolate Films filmmaking workshop. 1000 LONDONERS This film is part of 1000 Londoners, a five-year digital project which aims to create a digital portrait of a city through 1000 of the people who identify themselves with it. The profile contains a 3 minute film that gives an insight into the life of the Londoner, as well as their personal photos of London and some answers to crucial questions about their views on London life. Over the course of the project we aim to reveal as many facets of the capital as possible, seeing city life from 1000 points of view. 1000londoners.com youtube.com/1000londoners facebook.com/1000londoners Twitter @1000_londoners 1000 Londoners is produced by South London based film production company and social enterprise, Chocolate Films. The filmmakers from Chocolate Films will be both producing the films and providing opportunities to young people and community groups to make their own short documentaries, which will contribute to the 1000 films. Visit chocolatefilms.com Transcript: My name's Vicki Barker and I'm the project coordinator for A.P.P.L.E. A.P.P.L.E is a registered charity and we work with children and young people. We offer a free service anybody can come. Children from the age of 8 to 18. We run an arts programme, so we do lots of arts projects, we do lots of cooking and eating together, we run lots of sports projects we do trips out, we go camping. The building's very interesting because we’re based here and it used to be the public toilets in the park, you know it makes people laugh that that's what we're in - the old toilets! My two sons work with A.P.P.L.E and I do consider this a family business as it were, but not just because my two sons work here but because of the way that A.P.P.L.E works. We do work like a large extended family. I think my most fond memories would be I think probably cooking with groups of people or at the end of an afternoon and we're clearing up, and the music comes on and everybody dances. It's good fun! It's just really good fun, and that's what keeps you going. I think partly why I started A.P.P.L.E and partly why it takes the form that it does, is because I do think that it’s very important for children to play and to have an exciting and fulfilling childhood, and a very close family feel to it. And so I think part of why A.P.P.L.E is as it is and why we emphasise doing things yourself and doing very simple things like cooking on an open fire, making your own pizzas, is because I value that, those sorts of things from my own childhood and want to pass that on. To be honest, I don't think it’s difficult working with young people, I think young people are amazing. It's brilliant working with young people because they don't talk about putting an extension on a building or their mortgage repayments or the best way to drive to Reading or something. They're interesting and lively and they keep you on your toes. When you work with young people, that is the first thing that strikes you, it's that you get back so much from them. Not least, learning how to dance Beyonce! Here, because we are close and it's family, I've had things happen in my life, and they have been there to support me, in the same way as I hope I've been able to support them, and they have been a huge source of strength for me. I think what I want young people to take away from A.P.P.L.E when they come away from here, is the fact that it is in their own hands to create their own life. However bleak it gets, however difficult it can seem, there are always positive steps that you can take.

• published: 04 Oct 2015
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