Charlie Hiscox, a Year 12 sixth-form student at Alleyne’s Academy, gives her views on living in Stone as a teenager, and asks some of her friends for their thoughts too…
[dropcap]F[/dropcap]rom Year 9 to Year 13, the main focus for most teenagers is their education. Throughout these years, the pressure to study hard and do well in school only increases, the general consensus being that the more effort and time you put into your studies, the better you will do. Therefore it’s no surprise that with GCSEs and then A-Levels to work for, teenagers don’t feel as though they have enough time to get involved in community projects or meet new people outside of a school environment.
With most of the people I talked to, the biggest issue seemed to be money –or more specifically, the lack of it. The prospect of saving up our low incomes for driving lessons, university and all the things in between, makes regularly spending money on going to the gym or meeting friends at the same, over-used places feel unappealing.
One great suggestion was that there should be an easily accessible place where teenagers can socialise while also having the chance to discuss relevant issues, learn important life skills and be educated on subjects that we don’t necessarily learn at school. As one of the biggest stereotypes given to teenagers is that we aren’t involved enough in politics or simply don’t care about current global problems, this would be the perfect opportunity to overcome that label.
It was also mentioned multiple times that there should be more in Stone to support the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community and perhaps educate others on a topic that is commonly avoided or misrepresented. This would be a huge step in preventing prejudice from developing at a young age as well as offering support for teenagers who need it.
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen asked the question, “What facilities are already in place for teenagers within Stone?” there wasn’t much of a response. It became obvious that not many people could name more than two places for teenagers other than the youth cafe or Walton Community Centre. The idea was given that perhaps a venue similar to the Sugar Mill in Stoke-on-Trent should be introduced; a place where teens would be able to have a night out with live entertainment (perhaps local singers/bands) without having to travel too far while saving money in the meantime. Currently, the best places for teenagers to go when looking for entertainment is generally out-of-town and that fact is only amplified during the holidays when even school isn’t a distraction any more.
All these suggestion given have their advantages and disadvantages yet I believe that it gives people a sense of what 13 to 18-year-olds would ask for if they were given a chance to make an addition to Stone that would specifically benefit them.
The incentive to become actively involved in local projects and issues would also be a brilliant way to benefit the whole community and bring younger and older generations within Stone closer together.
Let us have your views on this. Email news@alittlebitofstone.com or leave a comment on this page below
3 comments
Holly
I’ve grown up in stone and most of my fondest memory’s are of the school holidays when we used get out bikes out rise around stone find new places we hadn’t seen before even used to bike up the downs banks and go tree climbing, trying to catch fish in the stream, long walks! People say there is nothing to do in stone yet if teenagers got up forgot the technology and went and looked for places like the downs banks and used their imiagination they would soon find places to go and not have to rely upon someone setting up things for them to do
Before anyone thinks I’m some 50 year old I’m not I’m actually 20 and I grew up outdoors!
Charlie
Hi Holly,
I completely agree that it is important for teenagers to go outdoors and be active however I was referring to facilities that could be added in order to offer young adults support and an education outside of school that could be used all year round, never mind the weather. Hopefully we would be able to do all the things you did when you were young as well as this 🙂
John Rothwell
Hello all and welcome to the busy and exciting Little Bit of Stone. There are youth organisations in the area that are here exactly to do what you want, The Army Cadets, The Scouts, Guides and the Aircadets; you may think these organisations are a bit too regimented for most, but you don’t know until you try. Here at 2352(Stone) Aircadets we are quite the opposite, although the military methods and skills are used to bring out the best in people and get you motivated to achieve more than you thought, mostly we are a youth organisation with a firm understanding of young people and how they enjoy themselves.
Our activities, ranging from sports to flying, shooting to rock climbing, are always delivered at a pace suitable for those trying it for the first time. We actually want you to succeed, because that’s how we grow and those that stick with us achieve some pretty impressive goals. Above all, you’ll meet a great bunch of people, make some great friends, enjoy and exciting and rewarding hobby that will set you up for life. Come along for a chat, we’re at Walton Community Centre, between 7pm and 9.30pm, Mondays and Thursdays; nothing ventured, no adventure.