IN most areas of Warrington, young people congregate on street corners. They may be doing no harm, but residents often see them as menacing. Most of the time, they simply want to meet friends and have nowhere to go. Youth workers, teachers and councillors in Warrington are trying to find out what young people in the town want and are holding meetings with many of them. The GUARDIAN talked to some of the young people who meet on the town's street corners. We asked them where they would rather be and what they think Warrington should provide for them.

Venues which play alternative music, Saturday jobs, youth clubs for older teenagers, a young people's cafe and more places to dance, are among the provisions Warrington's streetwise teenagers want to see in the town.

Ben Wild, 15, of Hilltop Road, who meets up with his mates around Grappenhall, said he and his friends wanted a place where younger teenagers could listen to alternative music.

"We wouldn't go to The World," said Ben who explained that alternative music would attract the kind of people he and his friends would like to meet.

Ben also said that younger teenagers had difficulty getting Saturday jobs because companies either tended to take older teenagers, or not pay very much.

"I have seen teenagers doing two days' work, nine to five, for £25. I would not do that" said Ben.

Greg Hawkins, 16, of Hillside Road, said he and his friends hung around street corners because there was nothing else to do. He said that not all young people who met up on corners were the same. Some get drunk and they gave a bad image.

Greg reiterated the need for a meeting point with alternative music. He also said a youth club for older teenagers with dancing and games might be a good thing.

Tom Bowers, 15, a pupil at Lymm High School, said he would like to see ten pin bowling nearer to the Grappenhall end of town. He also said Warrington needed a games room.

Aaron Bell, 16, of Callands, suggested a big leisure centre on the Gemini estate. "There are loads of empty fields there," he said.

Michael Edwards, aged15, of Callands, wanted more provision for football and rugby, a bigger community house at Dallam and payment for youth workers.

Tony Hill, 13, of Callands, wanted a cafe for young people, with cheap coffee, tea, biscuits, chips and pizza.

While Lindsay Carmichael and Marie Woolley both 15, of Dallam, want a chip shop, ice rink and swimming baths.

Louise Blackburn, 13, also wants somewhere to dance.

Paula Campbell, 17, of Callands, said any new meeting place would be a good thing.

Sue Emery, and Lynne Blackburn, who run the Dallam Youth Club, both said that young people need to be shown more tolerance.

"They get moved on by the police, even if they are not doing anything wrong." said Sue.

The two also felt that youth clubs should not be too structured and that there should be be free provisions for youth.

"Think of the money that would be saved on vandalism, added Sue.

Clr. Mike Hannon is the organiser of a youth forum which has set up satellite groups at Thomas Boteler High School, Padgate High and William Beamont High.

Meetings with schools have gone on all over the town and teachers in every area are commited to bringing young people together in a bid to meet their social needs.

Other groups are now in the pipeline.

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