Nearly 1,400 youngsters from across Basingstoke and Deane have taken part in this year's Summer Streetz school holiday programme.
The scheme, which is sponsored by biopharmaceutical company Shire and the Sovereign Kingfisher housing association, is open to children aged 11 to 17-years-old. Running from July until September, this year's programme has been extended to cover nine parts of the borough with a range of free evening activities on offer.
These include Brighton Hill, Buckskin, Oakridge, Popley, South Ham, Tadley, Hatch Warren, Winklebury and Whitchurch. After two weeks, the borough council said user numbers were up by more than 400 compared to 2010.
The council’s cabinet member for communities, sport and leisure, Councillor Clive Sanders said: “Summer Streetz gives young people a chance to try out a new activity, which can then develop into a long term interest. It is a community-based programme that benefits the local communities by giving young residents the opportunity to get together with their friends or even make new friends.”
The activities, take place between 6pm and 9pm every evening from Monday to Friday over the five weeks of the school holidays, include free running, ultimate frisbee, indoor caving, a bungee run, sumo wrestling, street dance, DJ workshops, graffiti art and electric guitar workshops. Anyone can turn up and take part, with open sessions on regular evenings in a range of venues where young people can relax with friends and play pool, table football or games on a large screen Nintendo Wii, X Box Kinect, dance mats or giant Jenga.
The scheme is also partly funded by the borough council and the Community Safety Forum, and is supported by Hampshire Constabulary, Hampshire County Council and local community groups. The scheme was launched in 2009 to help combat anti-social behaviour from teens with little else to do over the summer months. According to police statistics, reports of anti-social behaviour dropped by up to 35 per cent in Brighton Hill during the duration of the project.
Last year's scheme, which was held in seven wards, was expanded by an additional two areas this summer. Young people can keep up to date with what is available and when via the Summer Streetz Facebook page, or by visiting www.basingstoke.gov.uk/go/streetz
