Workers fear weekend drinking

By Andy Hillier Thursday, 09 July 2009

Youth workers fear weekend projects could turn into hangouts for drunken teens under government proposals to provide more activities for young people on Friday and Saturday nights.

Young people drinking in park. Posed by models. Credit: Jim Varney

In an exclusive survey carried out by CYP Now, just over a quarter of the 311 youth workers who replied raised unprompted concerns about levels of teenage drinking at the weekend. One said: "When we tried to run a Friday night project all we got was drunken young people throwing bricks at the building because we wouldn't let them in under the influence."

A separate report published this week by The National Youth Agency, Expanding Friday and Saturday Night Provision, says many areas have a strong adult drinking culture, which young people copy. It calls on youth services to work with other agencies to reduce harmful alcohol use.

Faiza Chaudary, head of policy and communications at the National Council for Voluntary Youth Services, said the findings show that if youth workers are to provide more weekend provision, they need more training on how to deal with alcohol misuse and violence. "You can't just recreate what happens during the week at weekends," she said.

Children's minister Dawn Primarolo said: "Many areas provide excellent training for frontline workers so they can identify young people who may have alcohol problems."

Nevertheless, there is widespread support for more weekend provision: 79 per cent of young people want more activities available then, while 69 per cent of youth workers say it is possible. But 68 per cent say weekday youth projects in their area would have to close in order to run additional weekend schemes.

Many youth workers are also concerned about being used to police young people at weekends and becoming an informal babysitting service.

Susie Roberts, chief executive of the Confederation of Heads of Young People's Services, said the notion of a babysitting service was not helpful. "We don't want youth workers studying a degree for three years and then running a youth disco," she said. Open Weekend, the government drive for facilities to stay open, takes place on 10 and 11 July.