Someone left the following comment on our “Daylight Stabbing in Rayleigh” post.
It’s very useful to get a teenager’s view , so we are making this as the start of a new post.
Im a teenager in rayleigh and life is not as fun full as you think, their is hardly anything for teens to do in rayleigh , and these things do not appeal to everyone, i strongly agree that knife crime is wrong and so do most teenagers in rayleigh , but from my knowledge the attacker wasent from rayleigh, and from the lady that wrote the comment at the top, king geourges park may be full of kids , but were not always doing bad things, okay your son may not have deserved that but “feral pack”is an unwise comment to make, just because some teens do bad things does not mean to say we all do, the generation of older people immediatly think that were up to no good and were always commiting crime, if you think that your seriously wrong, maybe the council should invest some money into the younger generations and give them something to do , this will decrease the ammount of kids on the street and theirfore decrease rayleigh’s very low crime rate.
Hey, of the three of us who edit this website, Jackie and Chris have teenage children, Ron has teenage grandchildren.
We really do want to see more facilities for young people. But we have to get other councillors to agree with us on what to do, find a suitable location and then the council has to find the money to do it. And even when things are agreed it always seems to take a long time, so don’t expect anything quick.
But it would help if you (and your friends) would like to leave further comments here and tell us what you want to see provided, or have any useful ideas on anything else.
This website is seen by quite a lot of people at the council, not just those who leave comments.
Good to hear from a young person – even if the spelling and grammar is consistently atrocious!
I agree that there is relatively little to do in the area. I wonder what suggestions we could have?
When I was younger I lived in Brentwood, our church’s and community halls had youth clubs on some evening’s which lots of teenagers (including myself) used. During the holidays they but on film’s (The railway Children in my day) for us to watch and even arranged Drama lessons and but on shows. We all paid about 50p each time to cover costs (I know it would cost more now!). I agree as I live near sweyne park that teenagers hang around here, some break bottles on the playground with out think that its danagerous for little kids, they are good teenagers really but its because they are bored and have nothing to do and no where to go.
My son has just returned from a trip to Southend to see a film. It cost him over £7.00 for the film and £6.00 for the train fare. Both adult prices though he is only 15. His sister, who is at college would get both cheaper as she is a student with student card!!!!!! I remember as a child going to the local school and seeing films but unfortunately this would not be good for the your ‘street cred’ now days. I think the days of community halls and youth clubs have come to an end with most of our youngsters especially those in the 14-18 age group – sad though this is – its fact. I’m spending too long on my soap box.
Brilliant idea, Admin. If there are enough youngsters contributing to this section, it could be discussed at the next West Area Committee meeting? If there were some youngsters and parents attending the meeting this may spark off a session on what our Council are doing / going to do for the youngsters of Rayleigh?
This is the only way the Council will take note!
Whenever the Tories have had the choice of providing facilities for our youngsters or saving 3p off Council Tax, they always go for the money. They don’t understand that there are other kinds of wealth.
Sid, maybe we need to educate the Tories that there other worthy causes as well as giving themselves big rises?
It’s the same old problem that has run for years!
I remember being bored as a teenager 25 – 30 years ago, but if we were asked what we wanted to do, not one of us would know what to suggest.
The difference then was that we’d not consider doing anything that could be reported back to our parents / authorities. Unfortunately, teenagers today don’t feel that they need worry about causing offence with bad manners or behaviour.
I understand that the majority of these kids are doing nothing wrong and are just hanging around with their friends. They are a lot more mobile now than 20 years ago – my age group wouldn’t have thought about going more than a mile or so from home (but then we did have to be back by 10pm)
I’m making myself feel really old now 🙁
The days of youth clubs
or jumpers for goalposts are over by the age of around 12 and teenagers want to do something more interesting – they just don’t know what! 🙂
The first response was objectionably critical. Be glad that teenagers want to use this forum. Time and effort went into the article and the meaning was quite clear. Over to The Council and other responsible adults to see what they can do. As Sid Cumberland said “there are other kinds of wealth.”
Is anyone going to dare to mention a swimming pool? Whoops, I just did!
There is quite a bit going on in Rayleigh already if you know where to look.
http://www.warehousecentre.co.uk is a centre near the Weir aimed at young people aged from school year 4 – 13 (8-18yrs) as a place to “hang out”. Run by Christians but certainly not aimed at church goers. (I think many activities are free?)
Lots of local churches run young peoples group, I know at Rayleigh Baptist Church we have a full time youth co-ordinator who organises loads of activities for young people – again not aimed at church goers. (Mark Massey at RBC).
Lots of local Rayleigh people really do value young people and have the sense to recognise they really are a valued part of our community now aswell as the community of tomorrow if we nurture and support them well!
This is great but we need youngsters to post their views now. All parents who have the same views as we do, such as, we need a swimming pool, a bowling alley, places where we can enjoy a beer with our older children without being harrased by dealers selling their stuff.
It is about time we all told the the Police and Council what WE want THEM to do for US. No more Councillors telling us what they want to do for us.
Right now the Council will be looking at this website and will not be happy, this is where we can take the upper hand but it is the the parents and youngsters who can drive this through. Encourage your children to contribute. There are a lot of youngsters who want things to do do in the evening and at weekends. We must all do our bit. How about getting hold of your local Councillor and put your views to them so they know what you expect from them! If they do not deliver they must know you will vote for someone else.
Developers CAN afford to build a swimming pool, all this rubbish about not being able to afford this kind of contribution to the community is just not on. A bowling alley would be fantastic for our community but RDC are too short sighted to see this or maybe most of RDC do not live in Rayleigh?
There is also our MP who has always asked for our views. He will soon have to be re-elected…..
I remember going to the Rayleigh Regal Cinema, before it was demolished and replaced by an old people’s home, that would save the bus fare to Southend.
Thinking about the swimming pool debate, a leisure pool like the one at Maldon would be what Rayleigh needs. However, Sweyne Park does have a small pool already. It’s a shame it could not be opened out of school hours for the use of people who live in the local area.
In Hullbridge we have a youth club that has been shut since May due to lack of staff. Hullbridge Parish Council Youth committe are meeting with Cllr Hart, our County Councillor and a representative from the youth service. Cllr Butcher who is both our district councillor and the cabinet member for youth provision will also be attending.
If anyone from Hullbridge reads this and has any comments or suggestions about youth provision in Hullbridge feel free to email me angelina.marriott@hotmail.com
For those vistiors to this site for whom Stepehen Castle is your County Councillor you may be interested to learn that he is the cabinet member responsible for youth provison.
Stephen, If you are reading this sorry for mis typing your name in my previous comment.
In defence of my opening comment, I do not think I was being ‘objectionably critical’! I was stating that the spelling and grammar was of a poor standard for a teenager – which it was!
With regard to the provision of youth activities, I am more-or-less on the same page as most contributors here in saying that (1) we could be doing better and (2) we should not disregard the considerable effort already being made by the churches.
We need to be a bit cautious about the ‘telling the DC what we wanrt them to DO FOR US’-line…part of the problem here is that we all have a rather lame, consumerist approach to our local authorities and that, frankly, they are not the best-placed people to provide such facilities or services. (Well, they can be good as commissioners and procurers, but not as the ‘hands on the ground’.)
This is my professional bread-and-butter – as my principal work is in community development and projects – and I have to say that the voluntary sector do it the best, and the churches do it best of all, or at very least stick on in there when everyone has decided it is too much like hard work.
Rayleigh team of CoE churches have recently raised funds and are now employing a new youth worker. Here at St Nicholas, Rawreth – where I am the parish priest – I would dearly love for us to be able to provide something. Regretably, my research would suggest that we are too far off the beaten-track to be a viable or attractive option for many. If, however, any of you would like to be in touch with me to discuss the possibilities for volunteering in youth clubs, film nights, etc., then I would be delighted to hear from you.
Go well, all.
Oh!…additional thought!
Whilst St Nicholas Rawreth church building is potentially too far ‘out of the way’ for many of our young people, our new school building is not. It is at the rear of the Priory Chase/Temple Way/ASDA/Leisure Centre development and thus much more accessible.
The building is being progrssively used for more and more clubs and ‘extended school’ intiatives, and good new ideas could certainly be mooted. All ideas have to go through the Governing Body and Headteacher, of course, and so need to earn approval there. I sit as Vice-Chair of Governors and certainly am keen to consider good, sustainable, well-resourced intiatives. (Certainly, weekend initiatives would be good to consider, as the Church foundation of the school means that I can more easily advocate such community uses on non-school days as integral to our Deed terms.)
So, more prompt for good ideas?!?…
Angelina, what is the reason for the lack of staff? Is it simply a lack of suitable people, or are there financial reasons?
admin,
At the moment I am under the impression that it is due to lack of qualified staff and that there will be more taken on in September. The purpose of the meeting is to ensure that the club opens soon and remains so.
Thank you for you interest.
While on the subject of youth provision I am pleased with our teen shelter and am very happy to see that it is being well used.
Paul,
Would you say that a 10 ft Totem Pole – allegedly to be erected in the grounds of St Nicholas School is a good use of funds? Surely a better use could be made of the money to entertain or indeed educate young people?
I’d also be interested to know what planning permissions if any would be required if this rumour is true?
The totem pole is the result of an art project involving all the children of the school and some expert blacksmiths. Funding-wise, it has originated in a competition for charitable funds set aside for such public art projects within education.
I think that this has been an excellent use of money, time, and childrens’ imagination. It is just the sort of thing that truly involves childrens’ ‘ownership’ of their lived environment which I would wish to encourage – the lack of such opportunities is a part of what makes young people feel undervalued in our society, I feel pretty sure.
The totem pole has obtained all permissions required and will be ereccted early in the autumn. I hope and pray that many will come to enjoy it as a feature of the local landscape.
Paul, this does sound a worthwile project.
Out of interest do you have any information on the damage to the school front doors? Was it a break in or just mindless damage?
I’d like to know what “permissions” were “required” for the Totem pole and subsequently “obtained” and exactly where it will be positioned in the school grounds?
If it is – as my neighbours who have children at the school have been led to believe – positioned at the back of the school adjacent to our gardens it will not be part of the “local landscape” as it will not be seen from the school perimeter in Priory Chase. If this is the case I sincerely hope that “many will” not “come to enjoy it” as it could seriously disturb the peaceful enjoyment of my property.
NB Non-parents were not consulted.
The school governors have thus far to show much in the way of community spirit to their neighbours who are feeling considerably undervalued. I’d be happy to reciprocate if this were the case and join in and support school activities but we have yet to be invited to any school events or fund raisers.
As Clerk To Governors at St Nicholas School – if there are any issues that any member of the local community wishes to bring up, please feel free to email me on karenrayleigh@talktalk.net and I will ensure that the matters are raised at our next meeting.
I will also suggest that the local properties are leafleted when events are held – presently we only hold one outdoor event a year – our Fun Sports Evening and also a Christmas Bazaar. Details of all events are on the School Notice Board which is in the playground.
David – the damage appears to be simply malicious and opportunistic. No attempt at a break in. The Head, Chair and myself have had some conversations to try to arrest this…
TWR – The totem pole will be located within the school grounds and some way from the perimeter with the road. This was – in some degree – a part of the appropriate process in working out what might require more extensive “permissions”.
I fail to see how an inanimate work of art can disturb one’s “peaceful enjoyment of [one’s] property”…it is not making any noise!!!
As CCR says, above, Governors are always happy to consider representations from members of the local community as we seek to dutifully serve.
CCR – I think leaflet dropping local residents is a really good idea, even though I am not a parent, I would support the school and attend events if I knew what was coming up. Having no reason to pass the school, I wouldn’t see what was displayed on the notice board!
Oooh, and another thought about school and community! The school is just getting a website up and running – check in at http://www.stnicholassch.co.uk/
Also, I aim to include school stuff on the church blog at http://stnicksrawreth.blogspot.com
All local residents – as parishioners – should consider these there for them, also…