Our Heroes: Kids find hope in pioneering group

by Adam Blakeman

FOR three years the Moorlands Activities Group has been helping young people improve their lives and stay off the streets.

The Cheadle-based group provides stimulating and diverting activities for vulnerable and under-achieving children aged between eight and 18.

Youngsters are split into eight-to-13 and 14-to-18 age groups as they enjoy regular weekly activities.

One of those who attends the group is George Smith, who has been going most Friday nights for the past two years.

The 13-year-old enjoys the group so much he has nominated it in The Sentinel's Our Heroes awards, in the Community Group Of The Year category

George, who goes to Cheadle High School, said: "Without the group I would just be sitting at home bored with nothing to do.

"A few of my friends were already going along to the group and told me how good it was so I thought I would go along and I was dead impressed. You get to do so many different activities, it's a really good thing for young people to be able to go to."

The club started out from discussions held in 2006 between the Staffordshire Moorlands Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, Barnardos and other partner agencies. The aim was to improve the quality of life for young people by improving their physical, cultural, mental and spiritual well-being.

It was agreed to form a club for children aged between eight and 13 in Cheadle, as a pilot, with a view to forming other clubs across the Moorlands.

Initially, membership of the club was by invitation and was mainly young people who were at risk of exclusion from school or offending or by self-referral.

A typical evening's activities for the eight-to-13-year-olds includes an hour's intensive coaching of football, or cricket in season, delivered by Football Association qualified coaches from Cheadle Town Football Club or Cheadle Cricket Club.

This is followed by an hour's recreational, leisure or educational activities in the youth centre including snooker, darts and IT.

Members are also taken to scout camps where they enjoy fishing, climbing and hiking.

Jimmy Edwards, who manages the group, said: "The impact the club has had on some of the children's lives has been massive in some cases. It's all about setting them challenges and keeping them focused on things they are interested in."

Andy Jackson, honorary treasurer of the group, said anti-social behaviour in Cheadle had dropped by nearly 60 per cent and petty crime by 30 per cent since November 2006.

He said: "We've had a lot of success stories over the past three years and are looking forward to working with more and more youngsters in the future."

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Story filed in: Our Heroes | News | Children