A teenager has told of how a local youth group has been crucial in his life over the past few years.
Nadir Moulfi has been attending sessions at Kingsway Community Connections (KCC) in Scotstoun for around two years now.
The 15-year-old is one of many young people discussing the positive impact youth work has had on their lives as part of the Glasgow Times’ new series titled Priced Out of Potential: The Fight for Youth Work in Glasgow.
Nadir explained that KCC gives people a “place to go” and that if it weren’t there, he wouldn’t haven’t anything to do “most of the time”.
He said: “It’s done a lot for me, it’s given me a place to go when I’m bored just to hang out because sometimes there’s nothing to do.
“We make food, have fun, and play games. Before I joined, I was mostly outside causing a lot of problems, but now I have a place to go, and it’s made a big difference for me.
“I think it [youth groups] can help decrease crime because young people need a place to go. If it [youth group] wasn’t here, I don’t think I’d have anything to do most of the time.
“I wouldn’t be able to go places like boxing. I’m better off since joining.”
The charity works alongside young people, families, and individuals in north-west Glasgow to provide support and opportunities to help them grow.
One of those support systems is the youth group, which meets regularly each week and offers a variety of activities, including football and boxing.
Yassir Ilme has also been going along to the group for a while after joining KCC around four years ago.
The 15-year-old praised the help he has received, particularly from community development worker Jamie O’Neill.
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He commented: “It’s done a lot for me and it helps me stay out of trouble as well as getting to know people.
“Jamie does a lot for us, and he is properly helpful. This group keeps young people out of trouble and keeps them active.
“We chill, we talk, we sometimes go boxing, just normal stuff. I just started going to boxing again two weeks ago.
“James encouraged everyone. I am busy because of this group.”
Kenan Al-Farouh told of the opportunities young people have been given and benefitted from through attending KCC.
The 16-year-old has been coming to the charity for six years and says that the encouragement youngsters receive has been crucial in their lives.
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He added: “It’s changed people a lot, just teaching us what’s the right thing to do and what isn’t. It gives people a safe place to go, and it’s a good environment as well.
“When you’re here with your friends, you don’t really worry about anything else. Jamie does a lot for us.
“He would always take us on trips every few months, and whenever we would go, we would always try to be on our best behaviour to show Jamie that we’re actually mature enough and how grateful we are for the things he does.
“Hopefully, we can get more opportunities like that. We also went to the Irn Bru festival, and all of us had loads of fun.
“We begged Jamie to go again, and he said, ‘Sure thing, only if you lot behave’. He took us, and now we don’t know when the next carnival is, but all of us are looking forward to it.
“Encouragement is very important. People can overthink, and if you’ve got one guy sitting and telling you, ‘you can actually do way better, look how you were in week one compared to week five’, you see a big difference.
“Those types of people, we need more of them in the world.”
Meanwhile, in North Glasgow, our reporter spoke to youngsters who say they have benefitted from attending sessions at the Shakespeare Street Youth Club, also known as the Shakey.
Hollie Taylor has been going to the youth club, which is the oldest in Scotland, for around a decade.
The 14-year-old said: “I started coming here when I was four. My brother came here, so I think I just followed him.
“I made good friends and just kept coming. It’s a lot of fun, and I’ve made friends with all of the staff. They’re [youth clubs] good, so people don’t have to go on the streets as much.
“A lot of things can happen on the street, but if you come here, you’re still having fun, still hanging out with your friends, but it’s a safer environment.
“I have so many fun memories.”
Kayal Newton, 14, added: “My pals came here and I was like ‘right, I’ll give it a shot’ and then just decided to keep going.
“I enjoy being here and all the activities. You’re here with adults, and you’re not doing all the bad stuff out on the streets, you’re still getting to interact with people.”
The Glasgow Times has launched a series titled Priced Out of Potential? The Fight for Youth Work in Glasgow.
Over the course of this week, we will be examining what funding looks like at a local and national level, speaking to staff about the importance of investing in youth work, and hearing from young people about what it actually means to them.
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