According to new research from Save the Children and British Gas, the location of choice for young people is definitely not the local youth club.
When 2,000 young people aged between seven and 15 were asked about where they usually hang out during the summer holidays, 38 per cent said on the street, while only 10 per cent said the youth club.
So what is it that young people like so much about the streets? The majority (64 per cent) said it gave them the chance to be with friends, while 14.2 per cent said it gave them "freedom".
One young person told the survey: "The youth club is always shut in the holidays and that is when I think it should be open."
The report, called Street-wise, also says that 44 per cent of teenagers felt that, if they were asked, they could make a difference to their community.
A Save the Children spokesman said: "The street is clearly a vital part of the development of young people's lives. What we need to look at now is why places like leisure centres and youth clubs are not as popular."
