The Mearns Youth Consultation 2011 The Mearns Youth Forum Supported by Aberdeenshire Council’s CLD Service The Mearns Youth Forum For more information please contact: Mearns Community Centre, 148 High Street, Laurencekirk, AB30 1BL 01561 - 378298 www.mearnsyouthforum.org.uk 2 Mearns Youth Consultation 2011 Contents Introduction 3 Community 9 Top Issues 10 Leisure 13 Transport 16 Community Safety 18 Information 24 Substance Use 27 Decision Making 29 I would love if we can get more stuff for the kids to do it’s a bit The police should be out boring for us. making sure there is no trouble in the high street on Friday nights We need more shops that are youth friendly. More things to do in the park for younger kids and teenagers 3 The Mearns Youth Forum Introduction The Mearns Youth Consultation 2008 In 2008 young people across the Mearns told us that there wasn’t much to do and they wanted more places to hang out, that they wanted more lighting in parks, that transport was too expensive and that there was not enough buses connecting smaller villages with towns, young people also told us that there are not enough leisure facilities and that access should be cheaper. Young people asked for more places to get information and many said they were uncomfortable talking to professionals. Young people said that they weren’t listened to or consulted about things that affect them. Young people felt strongly that they aren’t included in decision making. What has been done? • The Mearns Youth Forum has worked to ensure that young people are listened to and involved in decision making and now have representation at the Mearns Area Partnership and on the Laurencekirk Medical Centre Patient Participation group. • The Mearns Youth Forum worked with young people from the Portlethen Action Team and the Stonehaven Young People’s Society to produce a youth information guide funded by the Kincardine and Mearns Community Planning group. • The Kincardine and Mearns Community Planning group are looking at lighting in parks. • Representations have been made by the Mearns Area Partnership on behalf of the Mearns Youth Forum to the Kincardine and Mearns Transport Forum and by the young people themselves to NESTRANS at community planning events although this has not resulted increased provision. • Plans for the new Mearns Academy included improved leisure facilities. • Working alongside staff from Mearns Community Centre youth forum members have helped re-open the Friday night youth café, which also operates as an information point. • The Mearns Youth Forum supported by youth workers have set up two music and media projects for young people in the area. • Two youth events have highlighted youth work in the Mearns and the services available to young people living in the area. 4 Mearns Youth Consultation 2011 The Mearns Youth Consultation 2011 In October of 2010 the Mearns Youth Forum successfully applied to the Kincardine and Mearns Community Planning Group for funding to conduct a follow up consultation. The Community Planning Group also submitted questions to the youth forum which were included in the questionnaire. The consultation was run in February at Mearns Academy, at the Friday night youth café, at youth work groups and online, via the youth forum website. 144 young people took part. We do not know exactly the size of the population, but as the current role of Mearns Academy is 610 we could say that we engaged with between 15 – 20% of young people aged 12 – 25 living in the area, taking into consideration that some young people are privately educated, attend college, university, are in employment or unemployed. Back in 2008 young people from the Mearns took part in the Mearns Youth Consultation. Although the participation by young people was great, many of the issues they raised have not been addressed. The 2011 consultation revealed that transport is still an issue, as well as lack of lighting in parks. This time the Mearns Youth Forum hope more will be done. Many young people felt that there should be more youth friendly areas to hang out, despite the forum helping to run the youth café and the music and media project. Young people have also made it clear that they feel less safe in the Mearns than they did three years ago. Hopefully within this report you will find some facts that relate to your area of interest or expertise. We feel that as a strong youth group in the Mearns, we can work together with you to achieve positive outcomes on these issues. Each section begins with our summary of what young people told us, what we think needs to be done to address the issues and what we, as the Mearns Youth Forum, think we can do to help. We have put our logo on each of these pages so it is clear that the opinions represented are those of the Mearns Youth Forum and not those who took part. Fraser Thomson President - Mearns Youth Forum 2011 Aberdeenshire council were going to run There are too many a Saturday shopping bus service which troublemakers and people who allowed less then an hour shopping! They threaten me when I I've heard of places to go about say we never used the services; it’s go out at night. sexual health but feel unable to I hate it talk to the people who work because they were irregular, unreliable personally... and badly timed! They need to discuss, there as it feels like they judge you because of your age or that not just set silly new times... they don’t totally understand 5 The Mearns Youth Forum Ethnic Origin 1% 3% White Mixed Black 96% Citizenship 1.0% 1.5% 1.5% British citizen EU citizen UK visa holder Asylum Seeker 96.0% 6 Mearns Youth Consultation 2011 Gender MALE 57% 53% 2011 2008 FEMALE 55% 45% Age 1% 11 1% 18% 12 22% 13% 13 19% 2011 8% 2008 14 11% 8% 15 20% 20% 16 13% 24% 17 10% 8% 18 1% 1% 19 - 25 3% 7 The Mearns Youth Forum Employment Status 1.5% 1.5% 1.0% 2.0% School Pupil Employed (17 + hours) Employed (under 16 hours) Unemployed (under 12 months) Student 94.0% What’s the name of your school, college or university? 1.0% 1.0% Mearns Academy The Robert Gordon University Dundee University 98.0% 8 Mearns Youth Consultation 2011 Community In which community do you live? Arbuthnott 1% Marykirk 3% 4% Luthermuir 4% 4% 2011 Fordoun 4% 5% 2008 5% Fettercairn 8% 5% Edzell Woods 3% 8% St. Cyrus 11% 10% Auchenblae 11% 13% Other 20% Laurencekirk 47% 33% Other Inverbervie 1% Johnshaven Edzell 1% Benholm 3% Drumtochty 1% Brechin 1% Garvock 2% Drumlithie Glenbervie 1% 9 The Mearns Youth Forum Top Issues What did young people say? 17% Alcohol • The 144 young people who took part in 23% the consultation told us that the top 3 12% Drugs issues affecting young people living in the 22% Mearns were: o Alcohol 17% 12% Jobs o Drugs 12% 1% o Jobs 12% • 21% say that their friends are the best 11% Nothing to do thing about where they live. 19% • The most common thing that young 11% people don’t like about where they live is Smoking that the transport is bad (20%) and they 13% live far away from their friends (16%). 11% • 29% of young people felt that improved Sex transport was the one thing that would 4% improve their quality of life. 10% • Transport 17% felt that more things to do would 6% improve their quality of life. 9% What does the Mearns Youth Money 2011 Forum think needs to be done? 2008 Older people not treating 4% • It needs to be harder for young people to young folk with respect 5% get hold of alcohol and drugs. • Parents need to be educated about the 4% Mental Health impact of substance misuse on their 8% children. • It should be easier for young people to get part time jobs, for example if a young person wants to get a paper round they need to get permission from the school and many local farms will not give local young people seasonal jobs. • Young people need more information about how to find employment. • Less sensational reporting in the press about the future and employment would help young people to feel more confident about their future. • Better buses to surrounding areas, e.g. Fettercairn, Luthermuir, Edzell, Stonehaven, Bervie, Auchenblae etc. What can the youth forum do? • We could speak to the school about teaching employment skills in PSE. • We could have a page on our website which has information about how to look for a job and information about legal requirements. • Attend the bus forum and shout at the major bus people. 10 Mearns Youth Consultation 2011 If there was one thing you could change to improve your quality of life, what would it be? Better Transport, 29% More things to do, 17% Nothing, 13% More places to hang out, 7% More shops, 6% A swimming pool, 6% More sport things to do, 5% A job, 2% Being more socially active with my friends, 2% Money, 2% Perfection, 2% Less trouble makers, 2% Some comments: More places to hang out Better Transport • better park facilities • Cheaper and more regular transport links to both the villages • better places to and the bigger towns and cities. hang out outside • More bus routes from St. Cyrus to the other side of the dual- • More lights in the carriageway (Auchenblae Laurencekirk etc) - without having park.