Recently I chatted to a group of young people – around 15 or so – who were feeling unsettled by changes to their youth club. These changes include new leadership and this, in my experience, is always unsettling for any group and perhaps especially for young people. However what I found very interesting was the response from a couple of adults around me during those particular events that night. One adult was fearful and keeping well away from the young people who were pretty noisy and argumentative I suppose, but I can honestly say, not being a problem in the slightest. Another adult wanted to given them a ‘proper telling off’ and ‘have a go at them’ – he really wanted me to get them ‘in line’.
It struck me that it was sad to see adults so nervous and aggressive with a group of young people who were just a normal bunch, bored and unsettled, who needed someone to listen. Yes one of them did start to assert himself a little too much, but I have helped out with youth clubs a large part of my life and it didn’t worry me at all and he soon calmed down. The new leader of their youth club is working hard to calmly settle them all down and accept the change and I am sure she will succeed, albeit it might take some time.
As I watch funding continue to be cut ruthlessly to the youth sector, I am concerned that communities are scared to step up and take responsibility. It shouldn’t just be down to the government to solve our local problems – we as fellow humans need to do something ourselves. Our Groop data now shows that 8,700 members are being supported by 1,000 volunteers/staff around the country – and that number is growing every day. We are also producing some fantastic case studies to demonstrate the difference that Groop makes to those groups – helping take away the boring admin to allow the leaders to get on with the real stuff – running their community groups of all kinds.
Sally
