Letter - Youth Facilities

Youth Facilities

Well here I am again sounding like a broken record, justifying the need for appropriate youth facilities in this area. It should not be an issue that needs to be battled out, it should instead be an accepted norm within any community.
Teenagers that hang around the streets in the evenings are often classed as being intimidating to passers by, yet given the choice I am sure that the majority of them would rather sit on a bench inside rather than freeze on the Scar Top or in the Butter Market and aren’t intentionally behaving in an intimidating way.

It has been identified recently that there is to be a building erected in close proximity to Teesdale Sports Centre. The purpose for the building is not just for young people to hang out in, but it is also to provide visiting youth groups from other countries with cheap and appropriate accommodation. I am led to believe that there are rumours floating around which would have some people believe that it is to house asylum seekers / refugees. I can assure you that this is not the case and that it is merely a ploy by scaremongers, who would rather see kids out on the street than have a safe environment for them to meet their friends in.

By the time this letter is published there will have been a meeting about the proposed building, and it will no doubt be the first of many meetings, where people like Keith (Joe) Jones will yet again have to explain the blatantly obvious reasons of why young people should be given an alternative to sitting on the Scar Top or other meeting places.

I can remember a time (in my not too distant youth) when myself and others my age would all meet on the ‘Green Bus’ where there would be all sorts to do, or we could simply sit and chill out with our mates. Joe and other youth workers were always on hand to answer any questions we had. It was great to be able to talk to someone who wasn’t a parent or a teacher, and that you knew wasn’t going to judge you, would treat you like an adult and actually give you an honest answer. Most importantly, we felt safe.
I would like to think that this is the last time that I have to write a letter like this, but somehow I doubt it.