A TWO year project that saw young people help some of the borough's most vulnerable residents has come to an end.
Each vTalent Year saw 15 volunteers, aged 16 to 25 year olds, most not in work or full-time education, filling 30-hour a week posts at Harrow Council doing meaningful work and saving the authority money.
They had criminal record (CRB) checks and were trusted to care for children at nurseries, support child asylum seekers sent to Britain without their parents and used the arts to give a voice to Harrow's youth.
But funding for the programme has run dry following Government cuts to vinspired, the charity that runs it.
The council is exploring ways to keep the scheme running in some form but even if it is resurrected the replacement is not likely to be as comprehensive as the current system.
Ali Abdu Heggi, Harrow's vTalent co-ordinator, said: “They change hugely. After the first two to three months they start to go to meetings, they go to conferences, we see their self esteem flourish.
“That's the thing that I believe is most important – taking their own initiative, with or without our support. They start to create their own projects as well.
“They change a lot and become more mature as well. It's exciting to go through that process with them.”
Iman Farha, 24, was brought up on the Rayners Lane estate and admits she was “rebellious” at school but now helps teenagers from similar backgrounds using confidence workshops.
She also has a project called Mustaqbal, meaning future in Arabic and Somali, that gives teenagers like her the chance to pour their life experience into plays and short films.
Through the arts they give themselves a voice in a world where much is said about young people, but less of what they say is heard.
She was already involved in youth work through a different charity when she started, but without vTalent she would not have landed a paid job on an EU project designed to get young people involved in politics.
She said: “Some of the young people come from a typical London estate upbringing. You are out on the estate having a laugh, having jokes, which is why they probably feel there's nothing to do.
“The problem with a lot of young people nowadays is they are discriminated against because of the way they dress.
“They come from a background where they cannot afford certain things and the mother is probably struggling with certain things.
“Not every young person wearing a hoody has a knife and is going to 'shank' you, as they say. I like to wear hoodies, it doesn't mean I'm going to attack you.”
Natalie Annor, 21, worked supporting asylum seekers hearing stories of horror from war torn countries and sitting in on assessments of unaccompanied children.
She was confronted with the problems some families experience, including with mental health, confidence and self esteem.
She said: “At first when I heard some of the stories it sounds like a movie or a film but it's actually their reality.”
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