Troublesome teens? No, they just want more light and cups of hot chocolate

5:12pm Thursday 27th March 2008

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By Alicia Kelly »

Are you part of the hug-a-hoodie brigade or do you think that teenagers should be seen and not heard?

Whichever side you fall on, today many people - rightly or wrongly - fear young people.

Not so the youth detached team, a group of youth workers funded by the South Worcestershire Community Safety Partnership, which tries to combat anti-social behaviour.

The team, headed by Ann Nicholls, offers a friendly face to youngsters and it's their job to go to places where young people are - outside shops, in parks and in woodland areas.

Over the last four years, the team has succeeded in diverting youngsters to youth clubs or sometimes just explaining to them what constitutes anti-social behaviour.

Ann invites me to go with her to Droitwich's Lido Park, a place where young people have gathered for decades.

For years there have been reports of graffiti, damaged sports equipment, underage drinking, litter and noise but Ann says the majority of youngsters are law-abiding.

We meet on Friday night at 6pm just as the light is beginning to fade.

Ann says in 20 years of youth work she has never experienced violence or abuse, but I am still surprised when we enter the park and, almost immediately, 10 children hurtle towards me. All are extremely excited, aged 12 or 13, and very sweet.

They are thrilled to meet a reporter and one even phones her mum to tell her. All of them say their parents know where they are.

I'm surprised, although really they are just "playing out" but it's getting dark and there is excited chatter about a tramp lying in the park. Is it a safe environment?

Ella, aged 12, says: "It's a nice area."

Abi, aged 12, says: "It's safe here, we feel safe."

Ella adds: "My mum phones me every 20 minutes to see I'm OK."

They say people sometimes make derogatory comments about the "younger generation" as they walk past.

Josh H, aged 13, says: "It's a bit of a stereotype - anyone who is walking around in big groups is up to trouble. Usually when you go out you've got nothing to do."

Abby, aged 12, says: "There's a bowling club for older people and things for really little kids but they haven't got anything for the mid-generation like a little room with hot chocolate."

There is a youth club in Droitwich, although it is not open every night, but Ann explains that an organised club is not for everyone.

It's nearly 6.30pm, which is home time for these youngsters, so we say goodbye before bumping into Lawrence, 16, and his friends.

He comes here at weekends to relax and, surprisingly, rather than wanting to stay out of sight, he would love better lighting.

"It's not really nice walking through the park when it's pitch black," he says.

Lawrence is annoyed at how young people are viewed.

He says: "It's diabolical.

"We are thought to be in just one group and you're just out to smoke or drink and cause trouble and you don't, to be fair.

"If you walk into a shop you've got a security guard shadowing you expecting you to take something."

Mikki, 13, adds: "If you go past with a hood up and playing music they think you are going to beat them up but you're really not.

"We just like dancing to music and hoods keep our ears warm."

Next we meet three boys who refuse to give their names but say they are 16, 16 and 19.

They say they come to the park to chill out but the police check up on them.

One admits they drink "sometimes". One says: "The police will come down sometime tonight, check if you've got any alcohol. If you have they'll take it off you and move you on and if you haven't they will tell you to move on anyway."

When I ask what they think about that his friend says simply: "Isn't this what parks are for? For kids?"

He adds: "If you are hanging out on the streets people moan. If you are here they moan. You can't do anything."

Another boy says: "They say we are making a noise but we can't walk round in silence."

I ask if perhaps some people find them intimidating and one replies: "It's like me thinking you are intimidating. I'm judging you and I don't even know you."

With that, they head off and we leave too.

On the way home I reflect that, while I probably wouldn't hug any of them, I can't remember the last time I met so many interesting people.

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