Senior politicians such as Ruth Kelly, Hazel Blears and Phil Hope all suggested that the bog standard youth club was a thing of the past and no longer what young people want (YPN, 5-11 October, pp 2, 3 and 11).
I know our columnists Howard Williamson and Michael Bracey feel very strongly about this and will comment on the subject in future issues.
For my part, I volunteer at a "bog standard" voluntary sector youth club in Hammersmith, west London which, coincidentally, has just done a survey of its members on what they want to do and what they think of the current offer.
Youth clubs, especially inner-city clubs, tend to be frequented by young people whose parents can't afford to, or won't, take them to the leisure centre or buy them a season ticket at their local football club. One surprising request was that our youth club should invest in Sky TV, so members could watch Premiership footie. The only way these kids, who live close to Premiership champions Chelsea and Fulham, as well as Championship outfit Queen's Park Rangers, can see live games is on the television - but most don't have access to Sky.
This is more a commentary on modern football than an indictment of local youth provision. The national game is divorcing itself from ordinary fans, especially the young people who should be the supporters of the future.
But other responses to the youth club survey were also illuminating.
Cliches they may be, but many young people are quite happy to play pool, table tennis or kick a ball about at their local club. They want a safe, dry place to go where they can hang out with their mates in a non-threatening atmosphere. What they really want is for the club to be open for more than the one night a week.
The Federation of London Youth Clubs, to which my club is affiliated, is conducting its own survey of young people about what they think of current provision and what they want in the future. It will be interesting to see if responses tally with what the Government and senior politicians shaping youth policy think, or if there is still life in the much-maligned youth club after all.
