Although the scale of the problem in these two parks seems to be quite different, the stories about Osgathorpe and Abbeyfield highlight different ways of responding to young people’s behaviour.
The Messenger is worried dispersal orders and curfews are last resorts that risk further confrontation and criminalisation of Burngreave’s young people. Unless the long-term work is done to give them something better to do, a crack down won’t solve the problem.
There is a £1million, 6 year, New Deal project in the pipeline to fund Sheffield Futures to provide extra detached youth work, but is it too little too late? It’s not just about making contact with young people but also about providing quality facilities, in the right locations. Some facilities already exist, such as The Pavillion in Osgathorpe Park, the Verdon Street Rec and All Saints Centre, but young people are still choosing to find entertainment elsewhere.
Messenger Info:
The Burngreave Messenger is a community newspaper, funded by New Deal, with editorial independence.We aim to increase and encourage communication in Burngreave. Each edition is put together by an editorial team who write articles not otherwise credited.
This month’s team:
Farzana Ahmed, Kate Atkinson, Annie Blindell, Clare Burnell, Mark Lankshear, Jamie Marriott, Carl Rose, Rob Smith, Gaby Spinks, Lisa Swift and Paul Taylor.
All content is copyright Burngreave Messenger Ltd or its voluntary contributors, not to be reproduced without permission.