A summer camp started by David Cameron accommodates teenagers who identify themselves as girls in dormitories for women only, The Telegraph reports.
The National Citizens’ Service (NCS), largely funded by the government, has been accused of putting young people at risk by allowing them to choose which dormitories, toilets and showers they want to use.
Parents on Monday night wondered if those who signed their 16- and 17-year-olds for the two-week project were aware that the dormitories were of mixed sex.
One mother, who expressed concern about the policy, said a local provider said that if girls felt uncomfortable with a boy in their bedroom, they should “be educated to respect the man’s identity”, it said.
Another said her son left the camp in 2019 because he shared a male dormitory with a trans man and a teenager who were in a sexual relationship.
The NCS was launched in 2011 by Mr Cameron, the then Prime Minister, as part of his plans for the “Big Society” and is seen as central to his legacy.
Over the last decade, it has received more than £ 1.3 billion in taxpayer funding, which until last year accounted for almost 90 per cent of the youth budget of the Ministry of Culture, Media and Sport.
Mr. Cameron is chairman of the board, while the government appoints trustees. Last year, it received £ 75 million in public funding.
“Parents have a right to know”
However, parents and groups from the campaign on Monday night questioned whether the arm-length body was properly protecting children.
A mother told The Telegraph that her 16-year-old son, who recently began identifying as a girl after watching YouTube videos, registered at the camp this year and wrote “woman” when asked. for gender.
As a result, the local camp provider asked him which room he would prefer to sleep in.
When the mother expressed concern, she said she was told that “we will allow young people to identify themselves and they will be accommodated in the dormitory where they feel comfortable.”
She said: “I didn’t think it was fair for him to go to the girls’ dormitory. If mixed-sex dormitories are allowed, then there is obviously a risk of sexual intercourse, but it is also a threat to the privacy of girls.
“I don’t know a single 16-year-old girl who would be convinced that she is naked in a public place because it is such a difficult age. I think girls and their parents need to know that this is happening. “
The mother added that many teenage girls would find it difficult to question due to controversy over the discussion of trance access to women’s spaces.
She told the provider that parents have a “right to know”, but said they said they could not share the information due to GDPR rules.
Trans participants evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Organizers added that if a girl gave a reason not to share – such as religious beliefs or past trauma – she would not be accommodated in a room with a biological man.
NCS’s trans-inclusion policy says that trans-participants must be assessed on a case-by-case basis and the decision must be made by the local provider.
They advise staff to ask participants: “What are their individual accommodation preferences and which toilets, showers and changing rooms are most comfortable to use?”
In the case of showers and facilities, they say: “Any alternative agreement must be based on the individual preferences of the young person.”
Other local providers advertise that they have “single-sex accommodation” or say they do not have “mixed-sex accommodation”, without specifying whether the gender is self-identified.
“Most parents would not realize this is happening. They seem to confuse gender and gender, “said the mother.
“I think if I have to be non-charitable, they rely a little on this confusion, it’s misleading at best and intentional at worst.
“Adults should never abdicate responsibility to children”
A spokesman for the Alliance’s Safe Schools Campaign in the United Kingdom said it had been contacted by “several parents concerned that schools and other organizations divide accommodation by gender, not by gender”.
“This is contrary to protection and basic common sense,” the spokesman added.
“Children have the right to be protected by the adults around them. Mixed sleep has problems with privacy, dignity and safety. There is a possibility of sexual harassment, assault and / or pregnancy.
“Organizations working with children have a duty to protect them. Protection requires transparency and teamwork. Parents should be informed whether their children sleep in single or mixed rooms. Adults should never abdicate their responsibility to protect and pass the decision on to children. ”
“All young people can benefit from NCS”
Mark Gifford, chief executive of the NCS Trust, said he took conservation “incredibly seriously”, adding: “This is paramount and we are proud of our exemplary experience.
“Although our policy recognizes that accommodation decisions are made on a case-by-case basis by our delivery partners, we would never approve any decision that leaves a young person feeling vulnerable or at risk.
“Like many organizations, we are developing our policies in the light of increased focus and awareness on this important and complex issue.
“However, our overarching mission is to ensure that all young people, whoever they are, can benefit from the NCS program. If this creates challenges for our organization, we will tackle them, always ensuring that every young person is safe. “
Mr Cameron did not respond to a request for comment.
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