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From left: Mohamed Arshe, youth worker Mahamed Abdi, Sharmarke Hersi and Mohamed Salim
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Row over identities leaves youth group homeless
Somali youngsters lose meeting place for refusing to name names~
A SOMALI youth group has been kicked out of Castlehaven Community Centre after refusing to share information about members.
The Somali Youth Development Project and Resource Centre is now searching for a new home for its youth club following a dispute between centre managers and youth workers over paperwork.
The row centres on Castlehaven’s demands for information about youth club members, such as names of next of kin, and details of allergies.
But youth workers say they need to protect the trust of their members, and are under no obligation to give up information to Castlehaven, which doesn’t fund the group.
In the meantime, members are now meeting in the ill-equipped Dowdney Close centre in Bartholomew Road which has just two office rooms, and making use of scattered facilities in Kentish Town and Camden.
The group is also suffering from losing its Neighbourhood Renewal Fund grant last year.
Management committee secretary Duran Farah said: “They wanted us to give them registration and a regular report telling the youths’ ages, schools, they wanted to know daily who was coming.
“They were acting like they were our funder. We said we’re hiring the room from them, we don’t have to share. The members wouldn’t be happy for us to give the information, they trusted us when they gave it to us. Young people are very motivated but if they don’t get support from the council and other groups, they will become demotivated.”
Organisers are now looking for a new meeting place for the club, and are in talks with Kentish Town Community Centre.
Youth worker Mahamed Abdi, 27, said the group was hoping to attract youths to the Downdey Close HQ by buying new equipment, adding: “This has had a huge effect on us. With Castlehaven, the location was easy, central, in a youth setting, and had a popular music studio, technology and football pitch.”
He added: “What would be ideal for us is to find a suitable venue where young people could have access to all the facilities they need. We’re looking into funding. We need the equipment as well. Ideally we’d be somewhere in central Kentish Town. We have a table tennis table but it’s not being used because the place is too small.”
Castlehaven Youth Project manager Frances Shank said: “They were asked to leave because they wouldn’t sign the agreement saying they would share information and do a register. It’s for Health and Safety and for young people who are using the centre. They may have allergies, they may put themselves in danger.
“We’ve got to follow these guidelines just like others in Camden.”
She added: “They were paying money but they weren’t paying what the room would cost. I was doing cooking sessions when I found out one of them had a peanut allergy.
“I don’t understand why they were reluctant to share information. They said some of them had been in court but that doesn’t matter to me, everyone has the right to access youth services.
“We needed to know basic things like who their parents are in case they collapse.”
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