The Kentish Town Community Organisation (KTCO) is a voluntary organisation set up by concerned professionals living in the in Kentish Town, London as a positive response to the plight of local youth who have increasingly been drawn towards negative activities related to drugs and petty crime. Click on a link below to find out more about KTCO.

  Activities for local youth

We provide a range of fun and engaging programs for local youth that are substantive and readily accessible, designed and delivered by the youth for the youth. Our programmes include regular sports, home-work classes, drugs awareness projects, careers advice and business skills work shops.

  Mentoring and guidance

Our directors and senior youth workers act as role models and provide one to one support to young people in the local area who often lack direction and are in need of someone who can see things from their point of view.

  Developing future citizens

Through our programmes we aim to develop a large community of young people who are willing to work to help regenerate the area through train the trainer programs and experience sharing workshops.

  Building respect for the Law

By working closely with local law enforcement agencies and local youth we aim to increase trust between the two parties to reduce crime and tensions between police and youth in our area.

  Community cohesion

With volunteers from a range of backgrounds we aim to promote understanding and social cohesion between BME and white community kids/adults through sports and other innovative programs more >>

The wards of Cantelowes and Gospel Oak where KTCO primarily operate are among the most deprived in London. The area has some of the highest incidence of drug-related and violent crimes in London. The work of KTCO has revealed that children and young adults are being constantly targeted to sell and use drugs, with aggravated violence being cited as among the worst in the UK.

Also the last decade has seen an increase in the number of young people (mostly young men) “hanging around” streets with nothing to do coupled with the proliferation of gang cultures. In response to this situation, KTCO has been delivering extracurricular activities for these “vulnerable” young people.

There were no such visible programmes in the area or any demonstrable focus on young people. Whilst police officers from Operation Trident have conducted numerous investigations in the area focusing on drugs-related gun violence, there had been a failure by the authorities to deliver an effective programme of extracurricular activities for the affected.

The KTCO has been working with young people in the area since 2000. Our first program started with just two teenagers attending and now we have over 120 young people taking part in a wide range of activities.

Parents have also been extremely supportive of the work that KTCO carries out with young people. Indeed, over the last few years some of the youngsters attending these tutorials sessions have gone onto enter higher education at colleges and universities. Several of the graduates are now senior youth leaders within KTCO and have allowed our services to expand more >>