Campaigners fighting a Youth Cafe for teenagers in Nantwich believe plans are gathering pace.
The group, led by Nantwich mum Helen Chesters, staged a public meeting at The Gables in Nantwich to hear people’s ideas.
And members have also created a new Facebook Page called Nantwich Youth Cafe for people to contribute ideas to.
It comes after they have spent time speaking with local retailers in the town centre about the campaign.
Helen said: “We listened to their experiences of young people and whilst they do acknowledge that not all young people cause trouble, anti-social behaviour is an issue they face daily.
“One complaint that seemed to be apparent in many places was the large groups congregating outside their businesses.
“They felt this caused customers to feel intimidated and at times frightened and shopkeepers themselves to be fearful of crime being committed.
“We felt sympathetic towards the people we spoke to, and it highlighted the the problem we are tying to solve.
“The teenagers need somewhere to go where they are not being a nuisance to the wider community.
“The issue is they are moved on from place to place because hanging around the town in large groups is antisocial behaviour when people feel intimidated or threatened. But the fact remains there is nowhere for them to move on to.
“Our vision is to create a cafe for teenagers, that they take ownership of, to give them a sense of pride, build there confidence and teach them skills for life.
“We want to keep them off the streets and steer them away from the many dangers that young people face, such as alcohol, illegal substance misuse, legal highs and crime.
“We want to integrate sporting and music activities to build a sense of achievement and teamwork.
“We want to provide a platform for members of the wider community such as local business people, sportsmen and women to come in and work with our teenagers to inspire them to aim high and discover their potential.”
They are aiming to meet with local councillors and retailers with a view to finding a venue for the cafe in the next few weeks.
Presumably the campaigners are fighting ‘for’ a Youth Café rather than just fighting it?
Haven’t seen any of these ‘large groups’, which retailers claim are intimidating and frightening their customers. But Nantwich retailers often complain about something or other, despite the fact that the town is apparently the second most successful in Cheshire East.
I hope they get the Café and that it doesn’t lead to more grumbling if and when it attracts large groups of teenagers. Not sure that it isn’t a slightly out-of-date concept (a sort of modern ‘Youth Club’?) – and it may not be very enticing to the ones who could cause trouble. But it’s worth a shot.
Biker Grove!!!!
It’s good to see someone doing something positive for the town. Hopefully it will lead to a less complaints of “there’s nothing to do” from local teenagers.