The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Store delivers huge hit with youth hub
Ayouth hub at a city supermarket has cut antisocial behaviour by more than 90% since it opened. Created by a partnership between Police Scotland, shop bosses and community organisations, the facility at Tesco in Summerhill has seen incidents fall from more than 90 in just December last year to four in the space of five months.
Store manager Stuart Neil, keen to do his bit to help local youth, teamed up with community officers – and found many teens around Sheddocksley and Summerhill simply needed a safe place to go.
After 18 months of work, and costing around £14,000, the covered hub in the Tesco car park on Rousay Drive opened earlier this year and has had a profound effect.
Young people can access wifi, and sporting activities are offered by Aberdeen FC Community Trust, and Streetsport through the Denis Law Legacy Trust.
Mr Neil previously said he was inspired to act because of his own similar experiences as a teenager.
He said: “They just wanted a place they could call their own that was quiet, dry and had access to wifi.”
The range of healthy sporting activities were also arranged.
He added: “We can engage on a level now where we respect them and they respect us. Ultimately what it’s done is reduce crime and antisocial behaviour in the area from what was 93 callouts in December 2020 to four over the last five months.
“It’s fantastic and it’s what we really wanted to do – give them that safe place and reduce crime in the area.”
Aberdeen City Council has also had a hand in engaging with the youngsters, and keeping them safe is a priority.
The development of the hub – the first in Scotland – has also given fresh opportunities, and the chance to feel “comfortable and confident” in a space they can call their own.
“Previously there was some youth disturbance with young people hanging about,” said youth worker Colin Lemmon.
“There has been nothing for them to do so they were congregating at Tesco because they were able to get free wifi and there was a bit of shelter. That was causing some problems.
“There has been lots of money applied for and being given to this project because it is such a good idea.
“It’s creating a space for them so they can be comfortable and confident in their own community.”
As part of efforts to help empower the young people they had their say on what the hub should look like, with the chance to design a mural.
Working with street art firm Freshpaint, they came up with a design based on the movie Space Jam.
“The mural was something the young people developed themselves,” said Police Scotland early intervention worker Sarah Dunn, who has been part of a long-running joint effort to improve outcomes in the community.
“They came up with the idea and worked with the street artist to give them some ownership of the mural.”
Since the hub opened it has proved a hit with many of the area’s youth using it daily.
“It’s a place to socialise with other people,” said Jemma, one of the teens who visits the facility and was involved in creating the mural. “We all think it’s good and we have so much fun.
“We like meeting all the people from different places. You make new friends.
“Since it came here we have had something to do with ourselves. Some people used to cause trouble because there was nothing else to do, but we have something to do now.”