Jaine Lunn submitted this as a comment on my posting about tomorrow's closure of the Granville and Wembley Youth Centres LINK. I think it deserves a more prominent position.
The article in the Brent and Kilburn Times you referred to to in your earlier posting LINK is not factually correct:
Wembley Crime Prevention has been to every community meeting and consultation with regard to Youth Services Provision in the borough. Muhammed Butt himself is well aware of how important Wembley Youth Club as a base for Wembley Crime Prevention's projects and WCP's active campaigns "Just Don't" refering to young people carrying knives, and their petition to ban shops from selling knives to under 21 years old without ID, along with active involvment in mentoring and mediation in preventing gang activity in KFC and MacDonalds particularly in Wembley but over the whole borough.
I have also heard from a reliable source that Roundwood will close too, as only 3 staff have been retained for a further 3 months as a ploy to " make it look good until the dust settles" as I understand they have been discussions with the YMCA who wish to run this facility, which is the only way they may have a chance of getting any young people through the door.
Wembley Crime Prevention have, and were until yesterday, running most of the projects at Wembley Youth and Community Centre, along with Junior Collins who has been employed by Brent Council as Youth Leader at this facility for 25 years. Boxing classes for Male and Female Youth, Self Defence classes for Females, Taekwondo, Basketball , Football, Street Dance, Homework Club, Mentoring for Young People who have or are susceptible to being involved in Gang culture. The majority of assets housed at this Youth Club are owned by Wembley Crime Prevention charity, and they have consistently invested in upgrading the facilities such as installing a new kitchen and bathrooms a few years ago.
These projects have and still are being funded and supported by "Children in Need" and were featured on the recent fundraising live programme on BBC1 in November 2015 aswell as BBC News London. WCP is also funded and supported by Wembley National Stadium, Sport England, Mayor of London Fund, Edward Harvist Trust, Grassroots, Asda Wembley, MacDonalds, Daniels Estate Agents and the now defunct Ward Working fund of Brent Council. All Youth projects have now been temporarily suspended as of yesterday because of Brent Councils decision. So where does that leave the young people of Brent?
Will they go the Roundwood Facility? I doubt it. It is common knowledge, and it has been outlined at many community meetings, the only reason the Roundwood facility would be kept open as a hub is purely because of the financial implications incurred by Brent Council. Roundwood was funded by £4.997 million from National Lottery, and it would involve a payback the same as Stonebridge Adventure Playground if it were closed. Roundwood has never been popular or utilised by young people or ever would be for many reasons, one of which it is only open for 4 hours a week, 2 hours on a Monday and Friday and has more staff than patrons, runs no projects, and despite having "state of the art facilities", and where its situated.
However I do question the role of Brent Youth Parliament ( whom the council continue to finance at a cost of £60K per annum) who is purported to play a "valuable role within the Council's decision making process" surely we should have heard something from them, as it has been reported they would be part of the consultation process and strategy for the future. I would have thought they would be shouting from the rooftops " save our Youth Services" if only to protect their own existence. Sad to say I have not heard a whisper or seen any comments from anyone representing BYP.
The article in the Brent and Kilburn Times you referred to to in your earlier posting LINK is not factually correct:
"Granville in Anson Road, Cricklewood, and Wembley in London Road, will close for good on Friday, after the town hall failed to find an outside organisation to take over its day-to-day running."Wembley Crime Prevention submitted an expression of interest in a Community Asset Transfer in early February of this year for Wembley Youth Centre. Brent Council confirmed receipt and acceptance of the Expression of Interest but so far WCP have not received a further response from Brent Council.
Wembley Crime Prevention has been to every community meeting and consultation with regard to Youth Services Provision in the borough. Muhammed Butt himself is well aware of how important Wembley Youth Club as a base for Wembley Crime Prevention's projects and WCP's active campaigns "Just Don't" refering to young people carrying knives, and their petition to ban shops from selling knives to under 21 years old without ID, along with active involvment in mentoring and mediation in preventing gang activity in KFC and MacDonalds particularly in Wembley but over the whole borough.
I have also heard from a reliable source that Roundwood will close too, as only 3 staff have been retained for a further 3 months as a ploy to " make it look good until the dust settles" as I understand they have been discussions with the YMCA who wish to run this facility, which is the only way they may have a chance of getting any young people through the door.
Wembley Crime Prevention have, and were until yesterday, running most of the projects at Wembley Youth and Community Centre, along with Junior Collins who has been employed by Brent Council as Youth Leader at this facility for 25 years. Boxing classes for Male and Female Youth, Self Defence classes for Females, Taekwondo, Basketball , Football, Street Dance, Homework Club, Mentoring for Young People who have or are susceptible to being involved in Gang culture. The majority of assets housed at this Youth Club are owned by Wembley Crime Prevention charity, and they have consistently invested in upgrading the facilities such as installing a new kitchen and bathrooms a few years ago.
These projects have and still are being funded and supported by "Children in Need" and were featured on the recent fundraising live programme on BBC1 in November 2015 aswell as BBC News London. WCP is also funded and supported by Wembley National Stadium, Sport England, Mayor of London Fund, Edward Harvist Trust, Grassroots, Asda Wembley, MacDonalds, Daniels Estate Agents and the now defunct Ward Working fund of Brent Council. All Youth projects have now been temporarily suspended as of yesterday because of Brent Councils decision. So where does that leave the young people of Brent?
Will they go the Roundwood Facility? I doubt it. It is common knowledge, and it has been outlined at many community meetings, the only reason the Roundwood facility would be kept open as a hub is purely because of the financial implications incurred by Brent Council. Roundwood was funded by £4.997 million from National Lottery, and it would involve a payback the same as Stonebridge Adventure Playground if it were closed. Roundwood has never been popular or utilised by young people or ever would be for many reasons, one of which it is only open for 4 hours a week, 2 hours on a Monday and Friday and has more staff than patrons, runs no projects, and despite having "state of the art facilities", and where its situated.
However I do question the role of Brent Youth Parliament ( whom the council continue to finance at a cost of £60K per annum) who is purported to play a "valuable role within the Council's decision making process" surely we should have heard something from them, as it has been reported they would be part of the consultation process and strategy for the future. I would have thought they would be shouting from the rooftops " save our Youth Services" if only to protect their own existence. Sad to say I have not heard a whisper or seen any comments from anyone representing BYP.