Resources: Classic text revisited ... The Politics of Youth ClubsS. Bunt and R. Gargrave, 1980

It makes an interesting read today and many of the questions it poses are still relevant. Bunt and Gargrave are concerned that youth clubs should be more than leisure provision, and should be places where young people could learn about politics. They felt that too many workers were "custodial and paternalistic" rather than acting as "stimulators and creators of community opportunities". They thought many had "the mistaken belief that for youth workers to be non-directive means they must be inactive". Bunt and Gargrave rightly prophesied that youth clubs would survive to the millennium and beyond, but the developments they felt necessary are still waited for in many cases. They suggest premises that can compare with those offered by the commercial providers, separate clubs for younger children, better training for volunteers and responsibility for the running of clubs handed over to young people themselves.