Young people campaign to save Ealing youth club
Fiona Simpson
Friday, October 15, 2021
Hundreds of people, including children and youth work leaders, have signed a petition urging a London council to row back on plans to demolish a much-loved youth club.
Ealing Council revealed plans to redevelop the site of the borough’s Young Adult Centre (YAC) for housing in July.
Campaigners argue that the YAC's location in the Southall area of Ealing is one the most deprived areas in England and the centre is one of just three youth club buildings in the west London borough.
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A committee of young people known as the Ealing Young Champions supported by the Young Ealing Foundation launched a petition earlier this year to save the centre. The petition has now gained 1,228 signatures and will be debated by the council at their cabinet meeting on Tuesday (19 October).
To raise awareness of the debate, the Ealing Young Champions will be outside Ealing Town Hall from 6pm to show support for the campaign to save the YAC.
Young Ealing Champion, Kari, aged 19, said: “To see the YAC torn down would be absolutely devastating. Ealing Council is debating whether to keep one of the few precious institutions we really need in the community. Why?
“How has it got to a point where we are forced to stand outside and protest a youth centre that is essential to young people within its community? If this happens, where will we go? The Young Ealing Champions will do all we can to protect the community even if Ealing Council won’t.”
Elly Heaton, chief executive of the Young Ealing Foundation added: “In the borough of Ealing, there are only three purpose-built youth centres. In the area of Southall there are over 16,000 young people, many of whom rely on the YAC as their source of social interaction as well as it being a hub for extracurricular sport and clubs.
“If Ealing Council closes the YAC, a certain demographic of young people, living in an already disadvantaged area, will suffer more due to the lack of social interaction. And all for what? So that we can have more empty flats in Ealing.”
🚨 Help save one of Ealing's most precious youth clubs! 🚨
— UK Youth (@UKYouth) July 15, 2021
“I have been going to the YAC since I was 15 & made a lot of friends. Young people go there for an escape, they go to learn, they go to socialise"
Sign the petition here 📝⬇️ #SAVETHEYAC https://t.co/2lsfCyOnKe pic.twitter.com/EdhWJ2Sn5c
High profile youth work organisations have backed the campaign including UK Youth, Shout Out UK and John Lyon’s Charity.
Politicians including the Ealing Green Party and Labour MP for Ealing Southall Virendra Sharma have also urged the council to rethink the proposals.
Sharma praised Ealing Young Champions on Twitter, writing: “I stand with them, we need purpose-built youth centres with outside space. I have already brought this up with Ealing Council and will continue to.”
Ealing Council has been contacted for comment.
