This also included a response from Gill Alexander, the head of youth services at North Tyneside, in which she claimed that the council provided adequate services and facilities.

It is clear from the response from concerned persons that this claim is ill founded. In fact over the last ten years the council has closed all the youth clubs based at the high schools, four in all, and done nothing to replace this provision. In addition the YMCA has closed in Whitley Bay and again no replacement has been provided.

It should be no surprise then that in fact there are no facilities for teenagers on the coast apart from those commercial enterprises such as the ice rink or Wet 'n' Wild.

I myself help to run the Duke of Edinburgh Award unit at Marden High School - we have over 100 children on the scheme and recently when we took in our new intake had over 100 applicants for 30 places, surely a sign that the kids want things to do and opportunities to take part in activities.

If, as Gill Alexander claims, the council are doing so much for the teenagers of the borough where is it happening? It certainly is not here.

So here is a challenge for the council - let's have some details of what they propose to do; they must have a plan that they supplied to
Ofsted so let's have it put into action or was it just hot air!

What is their reply?


ALAN RUDD
Millfield Grove, Tynemouth.
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