MP spends evening ‘Just Around the Corner’ |
Rob Wilson spends evening with ‘Just Around the Corner’
Reading East MP, Rob Wilson, spent an evening patrolling the streets of Woodley with youth charity Just Around the Corner (JAC). Just Around The Corner is the mobile youth club for the young people of Woodley and is known as JAC. They go to various locations within the Woodley Area. They are in the Drovers Way on Thursday nights, Friday nights in Vauxhall Park and local area and on Saturday nights they operate in the Town Centre and Woodford Park area. JAC is a highly regarded outreach youth and community organisation working in the parks and streets, but also works with schools and youth clubs in the local community. This year it was presented with the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service. They patrol the streets of Woodley three evenings a week to attempt to gain the trust and support of the young people, and educate them on health and lifestyle issues. The charity relies of volunteers, some of whom are young people who want to reach out to their peers. JAC also teams up regularly with Woodley schools, Bulmershe and Waingel’s, to run an Emotional Literacy Programme for all year groups – topics include self-image, alcohol, drugs and anger management. They also offer parenting advice, self-esteem/social skills workshops and outward-bound activities for parents. During Rob’s visit, the team went to the Town Centre and Ashenbury Park, close to Waingel’s College. Rob said: "I was very surprised to see so many young people hanging around a dark park so late at night and some had been drinking alcohol and smoking drugs. “Initially it is a little surprising that these young people choose to spend their time in this way. There were probably around 30 that appeared out of the darkness and freezing cold of Ashenbury Park. But then you start to talk to the young people and to understand some of the issues involved. These issues range from wanting to "chill out" with friends, to perceived poor local youth facilities, to poor parenting, to lack of education. This is something that I intend to pursue with local with young people, schools, youth groups and other interested parties.” He went on to praise the volunteers at JAC for the efforts to support young people and turn them away from a life of drink and drugs, he said, “Just Around the Corner is providing a really valuable local service here in Woodley. Volunteers take their time out to try and support these young people and move them on from hanging around in parks and on street corners and drinking alcohol and smoking drugs. In doing so they are making a real difference to young peple and helping to instil a sense of social responsibility in these young people.” |
