Gill Alexander, Strategic Director for Children, Young People and Learning (News Guardian letters, May 29) wrote a long letter without mentioning any of the following: -

• Problem youths;


• Tackling social exclusion;


• The problems in Cullercoats and North Shields;


• Identification of blackspots, with a shortage of youth facilities;


• Delinquency, street crime and anti-social behaviour;


• Tackling the problems of youths on the streets at night;


• Providing safe environments;


• Out-reach work;


• Youth huts and youth clubs;


• Partnership with the police;


• Partnership with Social Services.

You may feel that she has not told us anything about the main issues, but on the contrary, she has - she has told us the council intends to do nothing.

The youth workers that had been proposed to cover the most pressing
problems would cost maybe £50,000 a year.

Gill Alexander tells us the council has a youth budget of £5.5million, with which they are doing such wonderful, important things that she cannot spare any time for our problems, let alone one per cent of her budget. She does not even consider that youth projects such as this are eligible for EU funding.

But then, Gill Alexander tells us there isn't a problem. She tells us that youth are engaged, they "contribute to decisions about their local community" and make "decisions on grant applications".

She says young people are "spirited, enthusiastic, committed to the things they believe in and make (her] proud and confident for the future".

Obviously she doesn't go near the park (any park) at night.

NATHAN ALLONBY
Percy Avenue,
Cullercoats.

All correspondence should be e-mailed to Your Say
It should also include a full name, address and daytime telephone number