"There is nothing to do..."
"We want something that is fun, cheap and regular..."
"We want to be able to do something at the weekends..."
As a Councillor I have spoken to many teenagers throughout town, and they have always made it clear that there simply is not enough for them to do in their spare time.
As a Councillor I also get lots of complaints from local residents who are unhappy that 'gangs of youths' are loitering around the parks and shops etc.
As the Lead Member for Recreation & Cultural Service on Swindon Borough Council I was determined to get something done.
The Link Centre's Ice Rink was struggling on a Friday night.
I therefore arranged a meeting with the Recreation Officers and we decided to launch a 'teenage ice skating disco' on Friday nights. This has proved a huge success with 600 people attending in one week alone!
We have made sure the price is affordable, and the music and environment desirable to the teenagers.
I am delighted that we have been able to provide a facility for teenagers at the weekend.
This is a win, win, win situation as the teenagers now having something to do, the Ice Rink is busy (helping keep Council Tax down) and there are less gangs of teenagers loitering around the parks and shops.
As Lead Member for Recreation & Cultural services I will continue to help look for more facilities for teenagers.