The affluent Hampshire city of Winchester is not a place you would normally associate with disaffected youth. It has low unemployment and crime rates, and its schools score highly in the national league tables. But, like most conurbations, it too has areas of deprivation, where some young people feel alienated and disruptive behaviour or truancy can spiral into petty crime or drug and alcohol abuse.
Since 1993, the Carroll Youth Centre on the Stanmore estate—the biggest council estate in Winchester—has been a lifeline to disenchanted under-25s. “Some young people in this area have had bad experiences at school or at home,” says Mandy Leese, head of the centre. “We address issues such as peer pressure, drugs and alcohol, and offer mentoring, a listening ear as well as guidance and support. We also provide a safe, warm and inviting place for young people to hang out and chill.”
Serving about 750 young people in the area, the centre holds drug awareness evenings that are fun as well as educational. It also offers activities that stimulate, including music, cooking, computers and weekend trips—a group recently learnt to surf in Cornwall (see photo above). In addition, the centre has been involved in local schools, supporting young people at risk of exclusion.
“We work closely with the police and the neighbourhood warden, councillors and local shopkeepers to try and target areas where young people may gather, and offer them an alternative to anti-social behaviour,” says Mandy. “Unless these young people are offered something else to do, they may get involved in crime or vandalism.”
The centre’s success is evident. “We try hard to steer young people in the right direction for their chosen careers. One of our part-time youth workers, Steve Maloney, who is now in his early 20s, started coming to the centre as a member when he was younger,” explains Mandy. “He expressed an interest in getting involved in youth work and we gave him the opportunity. He recently gained the first level of qualifications, and is hoping to study to become a full-time youth worker. Another young lad, who is also a member of the centre, wants to teach sport and we are giving him the encouragement by letting him help out at our junior football club.”
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