Save our centre!

A SUCCESFUL youth centre is appealing for more governmental funds for community groups as it struggles to make a difference and stay a focal point in its village.

In the shadow of rising skyscrapers and growing city contours lies Shakhura - situated off the Budaiya Highway.

Renowned as one of the former sites of Bahrain's famous burial mounds nowadays it houses nearly 150 families and for the past 20 years the Shakhura Youth Centre for Sports and Culture has acted as its hub of social activity.

Villagers, however, are struggling to keep the facility alive. Mohammed Alasfoor, 35, a founding member of the club and a member of its managing committee, said it is allocated a miserly BD2,000 a year of government funding.

"This only covers the one year salary of our cleaner, including his benefits and travel allowance," he said, "so you can only imagine what it takes to maintain an entire organisation.

"Our expenses amount to a total of BD15-20,000 and we have been funding it ourselves - the villagers, the club members. The Manama Rotary and the Round Table have also been extremely helpful. Thanks to them, we have been able to keep the club standing for these many years.

"We need this centre for our young people - to encourage them into being actively involved in society and the country's welfare. But we cannot do it alone and we need more official support for the work that we do."

The centre was established in 1988 and boasts three buildings including a large hall for indoor activities and functions. The villagers hope to open one large area for wedding parties and other events to bring in extra income.

The club has billiard, table tennis and some trophy-winning football teams. But money is so tight they cannot even afford to replace the worn out football nets. Members can also use a projector room to watch sporting events and read books from the club's library.

As a community welfare centre, some of the club's initiatives include helping to tackle social issues such as drug abuse and health awareness initiatives like breast cancer screening. "We have a fully active list of programmes for the whole year in sectors including sport and culture," added Mr Alasfoor.

"The villagers are all involved in the maintenance and caretaking of the centre. They plant trees and help with other volunteering work around the club.

"This village has a rich history and now it needs some attention for the sake of its future."

There are 32 youth centres registered with the Department of Public Foundation for Youth and Sport. They operate under the supervision of the General Organisation for Youth and Sports (Goys),_an arm of the government.

Depending on meeting certain criteria, an annual allocation of BD2,000 is made to the centres but any further assistance, or additional support, is only provided if certain other criteria is met and discussions held, an official spokesman from the Youth Directorate said.

However, there may be good news in the future as Goys plans to revise the current budget to be able to allocate more funds to youth centres.