Young people enjoy weeks of freedom in the summer, but is there enough for them to do? Children's Express reporters find that when school's out there's not much holiday fun for kids in the north-east of England.
| It’s disgraceful the number of parks that are closing down and the council don’t seem to want to help. |
Anneka Thinkell, 15, Sunderland
No, there are not enough activities in my area because we have only got the park near us and you have to travel into town to do more stuff. And there are some dangerous roads that I have to cross to take part in some things. I think the activities that are available though are for a wide range of ages and are set at affordable prices.
I also think that its wrong when swimming pools are being closed down, because it depends on where you live and whether you have to travel further if you want to swim. I would not know who to contact if I wanted change things, but if I could change anything then I would make more activities for teenagers of my own age.
Daniel Moore, 17, Whitley Bay
There are not enough activities in my area because its Whitley Bay and it's rubbish. It has declined but I suppose the activities that have been set are there for a wide range of ages although I don't think they are really affordable. Schools should do more in summer, like providing skate parks. It's disgraceful the number of parks that are closing down. I would try the council but they don't seem to want to help. If I could change anything, then I would have a lot more skate parks around the area.
Paula Lambert, 15, Sunderland
I don't think there are enough activities in my area and it's all for young children anyway, although I do think they are set at an affordable price. It would keep people off the streets if the schools took a more active role in entertaining children during the summer holidays. There are some swimming pools open during summer, but not enough. I don't think it is very good that parks are closing because there's nowhere for people to hang about and stuff. If I could change something about the area, then I would like there to be more activities for teenagers.
Sarah Harvey, 11, Percy Main
There is hardly anything to do where I live. Things have got much worse and sometimes I have to cross some dangerous roads to get to take part in an activity. Schools could provide lots more in the summer like using the gymnasiums, starting summer schools and singing and dancing classes. The people who run swimming pools should make sure that they are open, because it's a happy activity. All the parks around should be kept and not closed down because the kids like them during the summer holidays because that's all there is around where I live. I would not know who to contact to change things though. I would have more things in my area.
Terri Gilmour, 15, Sunderland
There are not many activities around because I think they have all shut down. The swimming baths and ice rink has closed so things have declined. What activities there are, though, are set for a wide range of ages, but there are some things like going to the pictures which is not affordable. Schools should help out more in the summer holidays and I would like to see more things open to the public.
Gemma Patterson, 11, Percy Main
There are not enough activities in my area because there are no youth clubs and there is only a park and it's all broken. I do think that things have got worse. It does not matter what price they set activities in other areas, because all we have in our area is a park. Schools should help out more by putting summer schools on. If I could change something, it would be to have a youth club in my area just so that everybody can go and enjoy themselves.
About the team
Interviews by Gemma Lockyer, 18, Kirsten Caine, 13, Shellie Lockyer, 10, and Roxanne Slade, 10. Junior jury is a weekly column published in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.
