The Centre will enable us to bring about lasting improvements to those whose life chances are constrained by economic, cultural and social hardship by offering educational routes out of poverty and into the urban design professions.

By opening up educational pathways out of poverty and into the many skilled or professional activities associated with urban design and regeneration, the Stephen Lawrence Centre offers a valuable educational lifeline to young people whose opportunities are constrained by economic, cultural and social hardship.

The purpose-built Centre in Deptford was designed by Adjaye Associates, and takes the vibrant form of two dancing diamonds. Located between Greenwich and Lewisham, the Stephen Lawrence Centre has an important mentoring and motivating role to play in this area, acting as an inspiring beacon of educational excellence which will, we hope, help to light up the community from within. Its opening in spring 2007 marks the culmination of a huge collaborative effort between the Trust, the Millennium Commission, the London Development Agency, The Berkely Group and Arts Council England.

Deptford is a densely populated constituency, with immense social problems which the Trust hopes the Centre will help to address. Housing a range of educational, creative and business development facilities, the Centre offers disadvantaged young people tailormade programmes in architecture, construction, civil engineering, regeneration, planning, and urban design. The Trust works closely with learners, educational institutions, businesses and public-sector organisations to create much-needed opportunities, helping young people to realise their full potential through a blend of academic and vocational training.

The Centre will contribute to Deptford's regeneration in many ways, by:

• enhancing and opening-up one of the area's much-needed open spaces raising the profile of minority ethnic achievement and highlighting multi-ethnic contributions to civic regeneration
  
• attracting new investment to the area
  
• engaging with local children and young people
  
• investing in urban renewal programmes such as the Thames Gateway and London 2012 Olympic Village developments
  
• expanding employment opportunities through education and training
  
• promoting social cohesion by uniting the community around an iconic and symbolic building.
  

13 million people live in poverty in Britain today. Deprived inner-city areas are characterised by low educational achievement, low aspirations, poor access to labour markets, poor health, crime, vandalism, poor facilities and physical decay. Too often, conventional approaches to civil and urban planning unintentionally discriminate against poor and unemployed members of society.

Education and training can break cycles of social exclusion and social decay. Only by helping urban communities to regenerate themselves from within can we hope to address some of our society's most pressing concerns