DJ Spoony among guests at axed youth club worker’s farewell bash

An axed youth club manager who worked with X Factor winners Leona Lewis and Alexandra Burke was given a grand send-off by the centre’s latest crop of talented young people.

Hundreds turned out to bid farewell to long-serving youth worker Nick Adams following his ousting from St Mary’s Youth Club, which he helped to set up in 1977 and has served ever since.

BBC Radio presenter DJ Spoony was among the guests as many of Mr Adams’ former charges took to the stage and performed at the Islington Assembly Hall in Upper Street, Islington.

Former member Medina Ajikawo, 33, said: “The event went brilliantly well and it was a great celebration of Nick’s work. There was a great sense of community and that’s what it’s all about.

“It just confirmed how valued he is. It was the young people who organised it and for them to put on such a great event is testament to everything they have learned from Nick.”

A huge turn out of around 300 represented another show of support for the 59-year-old after a campaign for his reinstatement was launched in August.

That came about when the board of trustees that runs the club, based in Upper Street, Islington, suddenly terminated his contract despite huge opposition from users and parents. A replacement has already been recruited.

St Mary’s volunteer Dr John Bank said: “The community is still outraged at the dismissal of Nick.

“The summary termination of his job after such an exemplary record of empowering local youth over nearly four decades has led to a spontaneous campaign by stakeholders in the club.

“We are making three demands of the trustees: to permit an impartial investigation of the reasons for his termination, if the result of the inquiry supports a charge of unfair termination, a reinstatement of Nick Adams’ position and a restructuring of the board of trustees to represent diversity and inclusion of representatives of all the stakeholders.

“None of these demands has been met as yet.”