Features / Together for Change
‘We just want our children to be safe’ – mum’s knife crime fears
“The kids have grown but nothing has changed,” says Samira Musse, sadly.
It is five years since the mum-of-two first spoke to Bristol24/7 about her fears for her sons’ future against a backdrop of cuts that have decimated youth services across the country, hitting poorer communities like hers in Barton Hill hardest.
Samira is one of many people working tirelessly at a grassroots level across the city to fill the gaps and provide a safe space for young people to go.
is needed now More than ever
But, with the rise in knife crime, she worries more than ever for her own children and others and says it’s time for the government, as well as schools, communities and parents, to step up.
“Peer pressure, grooming, exploitation, drugs – that is all on our doorstep,” Samira tells Bristol24/7.
“Now they are teenagers, what worries me is knife crime.”
Samira Musse (left), Hodan Shirwa and Nura Mohamoud launched Barton Hill Activity Club in 2018 to provide somewhere for young people in the wake of cuts to youth provision
Samira and two other local mums joined forces to launch the Barton Hill Activity Club back in 2018 to provide somewhere for children to go and something for them to do. It was always about preventing young people in the neighbourhood from slipping through the cracks and minimising the risk of them being exploited or put in danger.
The campaigner has gone on to run a football club that will often see more than 50 boys come together to train, have fun and get support.
Speaking about why she decided to provide these spaces for young people in the area, Samira says: “I have two boys and they were really active kids. I wanted them to be as free as my childhood, but the environment that they were growing up in was worrying me because there was no one looking after our children and nothing for them to do.
“I started the club so that we knew where they were and could teach them right and wrong from a young age.
“It’s still the same situation now. We have 50 to 60 children at our football club and if they were not there, where would they be? We just want our children to be safe and for us to know who they are with. Now, those children see me in the park and they fist bump me. And it means it’s not just my child who I know is safe, it’s all those in and around our community.”
Samira and her fellow volunteers have built up trust with the young people who attend the sessions and work to keep them safe.
But they receive no funding and little support – Samira was forced to launch a crowdfunding campaign to secure money to keep the football sessions running.
And this comes at a time when funding cuts, the decimation of youth services and impact of austerity have led to knife crime becoming a major public health concern.
“Let’s keep children in school Monday to Friday, because if we exclude them, they will end up on the street and they will influence the ones we are trying to save,” says Samira.
“Schools play a really big part in this. If we exclude them, where will they end up?”
“Schools need to employ people who reflect the children they are teaching and they need to employ people to come and speak to these children about knife crime. There are some children who are struggling and schools just kick them out.”
She continues: “We all have to play our part. And as a community, we need to open our eyes and know where they are, but it’s up to the government to step up.
“They need to bring youth services back and have groups that go into schools and support these children. We see mums and dads who want to help and support these programmes, but if they cannot be paid, they cannot leave their nine to five jobs.”
More than 50 boys often attend the Barton Hill football club at City Academy – photo: Samira Musse
Samira adds that funding should not just go to the large organisations that know how to access it, but straight to those making a difference at a grassroots level.
“Bring the funding straight to us,” she says. “These people see the problem and they are parents who really care and really want to make a difference.”
Bristol24/7, in conjunction with media organisations, community leaders, campaigners and others, has launched Together for Change, a citywide campaign to end knife crime and the devastating impact it has on people’s lives. To get involved or speak to Bristol24/7 about this, please email ellie@bristol247.com.
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