Youth Club 1988

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Hallmark February 1998. Lacey Green Youth Group. Report by Peter Bowen

Lacey Green Youth Group was reformed four years ago, in full affiliation with the Buckinghamshire Association of Youth Clubs, and has proved to be one of the most successful and popular rural youth groups in Buckinghamshire. There are in excess of one hundred active members at any one time of which some 40 to 60, and even more in the Summer months, attend the weekly club nights. The Club caters for youngsters from School Year 5 upwards to around 16 years and attracts membership from within and from outside the village.

The club provides a unique atmosphere in with the young people can enjoy a range of optional activities, play games, watch television, play and listen to music, and generally relax with their peers in a controlled and pleasant environment. In the Summer months the Club meets on the Sports Field on fine Friday evenings where the youngsters can also enjoy outside games and other activities.

The Club is financially extremely sound and provides subsidy for the provision of Disco Nights, BBQs and other events/activities as well as maintaining equipment and canteen stock. This is all achieved by good husbandry, close monitoring of payment of the nightly subscription and profit from a high turnover of popular canteen snacks, drinks and sweets – including fresh cooked chips, pancakes or other goodies - at very modest and attractive prices.

Lacey Green Youth Club is about to close!!

Why??

All the foregoing is achieved by only two Club "Officers" on an entirely voluntary basis who are very kindly helped and supported whenever possible by two of our busy mums plus our stalwart BBQ chef whenever called upon. However, even with all adults present effective control can be stretched to unreasonable limits considering the numbers involved.

As with any group of young people, there are going to be the responsible and the less responsible, and those inclined to acts of stupidity, either unintentional or intentional. What this means in practice is that silly act of vandalism/damage occur either through silly thoughtlessness or, at worse, by deliberate act. This in recent months has included throwing stones into neighbouring gardens, breaking the rear screen of a parked vehicle, plugging sinks and flooding the toilets, pulling away drain pipe from outside the Village Hall etc, etc. and even throwing free Christmas mince pies into neighbouring gardens. All these acts require but little time to effect and prove very difficult to lay specific blame. It is easy to just blame the youngsters in general and/or lay blame at the “outsiders” coming into the village. I can assure you, and I have 30 years experience of such work, that the core of the problem rests with an element of our own village children in the 10-12 age bracket. This does not mean that other elements don't do silly things at times. but not to such a great and consistent degree.

The remedy, in part, is to identify the culprits and exclude them from the Club – although of course they cannot be legally be excluded from surrounding footpaths etc. This remedy though is only fair

If in the first place they have had every opportunity of a controlled environment afforded by adequate and supportive supervision. If you threw every miscreant out of a Youth Group you would very soon have no Group – and also will have failed the very purpose of Youth Work!

The bottom line is that if the Village wants this very successful and popular Club to continue and flourish there must be far more support in the form of adult assistance. There should be at least 4 Club Officers and. for the numbers of young people involved, at least 6 adults available each Club evening. As the “Leader-in-Charge", I must also give due notice that I cannot guarantee continuing day-to-day running of the Club for certain health reasons. It could be therefore an appropriate time for a new group to take over running of the club and hopefully bring another four years of successful Youth provision to the village youngsters and their surrounding peers.

As has been indicated in posters/flyers seeking extra help over the past two years. Any, help is welcome. There is no need for formal training, activity involvement etc. etc. – what we provide is a bigger and better bus shelter for the young people to enjoy time together – all they essentially require is a guaranteed level of provision and fair and effective supervision.

Anyone interested in helping the Club in any way – please do not be shy – and either come along to Club evening and make your interest known or contact me either at home on 01844 342952 or at work on 0171 258 7010. If the situation does not improve by Easter, I see little alternative other than the Village losing one of its most popular Clubs and depriving the youngsters of the an unique peer environment which cannot be replicated in any other way.

Hallmark April 1988. Lacey Green Youth Club by Liz Thoroghgood.

The restarting of a Youth Club for the young people of Lacey Green and Loosley Row is being planned for September 1988. The plans are still in the early stages but it is proposed that the Club will meet in the Village Hall on Monday evenings with an early session for 11-13 year olds and a later one for 14-16 year old. Membership will be limited to residents or school members of the Parish, with the possibility of "signing in" individual visitors from outside the boundary.

Pat and Tony Smart and myself are willing to organise this venture, but we do need support and help. We shall need 3 helpers at each session, so if you can spare even one Monday per month to serve refreshments or generally supervise, please offer. 18 years old and pensioners are equally as welcome as parents!

At this early stage, we would also like to make an appeal for equipment, or the knowledge of a cheap source of equipment for activities such as snooker, bar billiards, darts, table tennis, board games and dare we say 1t, computer games (such are the sophisticated expectations of the younger generation). Is there a family with a redundant record player? In addition to these basic activities we hope, in time, to provide special evenings, outings, speakers and creative opportunities.

Please help us to get this venture off the ground by initially phoning with offers of both practical help and ideas, or simply to voice an interest in the using of this service.

Telephone me: Liz Thorogood on PR 5073 or Pat & Tony Smart on PR 6102

Hallmark May 1988 Lacey Green Youth Club by Pat and Tony Smart

An open meeting will be held in Lacey Green Village Hall on 11 July at 8 pm. To discuss the way ahead on this project

Further to the announcement in the last edition regrettably Liz Thorogood will be unable to assist in this venture as she will be leaving the village.

The response to the last article was very disappointing as only two possible helpers contacted us. We were, however, very pleased with the offer of sport/games and equipment from The Black Horse and a Music Centre from the late Miles Marshall.

We are still willing to assist in getting the club started but unless there is far more enthusiastic support from both sides there will be little point in continuing.

We all know that the village needs a youth club, so parents, children and any willing helpers come along to the open meeting to see if we can get it off the ground. This may be the last chance for the foreseeable future.

Hallmark August 1988. The open meeting of the Youth Club proved there was enthusiasm from both parents and young people for this project. Help in running the club was promised, but we are looking for a qualified leader.

In the meantime an interim committee well be set up and our first fund raiser will be Saturday, September 10th. A Barn/Car Boot Sale will be held at Stocken Farm. For pitches for your car, a table in the barn or for selling large single items please contact Tony & Pat Smart

Hallmark December 1988. Report by Pat Smart. - Youth Club is now held on Thursday evenings. Any children aged 12 and up who could not make a Tuesday evening are now welcome to join us on a Thursday between 7 pm and 10 pm.

At half term we went 10 pin bowling and to MacDonalds for our tea. Our champion bowler was Barry Mason. We hope to have more champions in other games such as Table Tennis, Snooker, Darts etc. Any help you can give us to organise these games, keep score etc. would be much appreciated.

Hallmark 2009, Village Hall report (excerpt) - The Youth Club is still going from strength to strength. They have a very busy programme of events to keep all the youngsters occupied as well as giving them the opportunity to meet up and just get together in a safe and happy place.

While on the subject of the Youth Club, my congratulations go to Joan Smith who recently received a community excellence award, I know Joan and her team have put in lots of hard work and deserve the recognition - Well done! click George & Joan Smith for more about Joan).