It was interesting to read in last week's Journal that Evesham teenagers are pushing for a Youth Group and their own youth club. Pershore is very fortunate in that it already has an excellent Youth Centre - the Riverside Centre - but apparently not fortunate enough to have a pressure group from local young people themselves.

I understand that the newly formed Trustees of the Riverside Centre are working hard to gain the support of the Worcestershire County Council for this venture and are themselves providing funds for the recruitment of a youth worker. However, I firmly believe that this Centre will only come to life when a group of young people, like the Our Side group in Evesham, adopt the Riverside Centre as their own and make it a place where all in their age group feel they are safe and welcome.

The proposed development of the adjacent Burgage Plots is very relevant to this project. This will open up the land adjacent to the Riverside Centre. The consequent improvements in lighting and increase in footfall will make it a much safer area. Further to this, the creation of 150 parking spaces in the centre of Pershore that this project includes is desperately needed in the context of:

The growing success of Number 8 as a theatre, film and arts venue serving a large local area

The imminent development of the new Pershore Hospital which, especially during the building phase, will seriously affect parking availability at the Wychavon Centre

The decriminalisation of parking which has resulted in great pressure on parking in Bridge Street and Broad Street

The Pershore Market Towns Board has allocated a considerable sum of Advantage West Midlands money to kick-start this development and if it is not used soon it could be lost.

It is to be hoped that the young of Pershore and its hinterland will grasp the opportunity that is there for them, that the Riverside Centre Trustees will find or provide the resources that are needed and that Wychavon District Council and the other stakeholders will accelerate the development of the Burgage Plots. All that would help to ensure that Pershore becomes an even better place to live for all age groups.

Michael Amies, Member, Pershore Market Town Board, Bridge Street, Pershore, Worcs.