Caldercuilt Youth Forum was formally launched at a meeting hosted by Jim Hamilton, Deacon of Maryhill Parish, at the Caldercuilt Primary School on Tuesday evening (16th March). The group has only been operating since December and has taken off to a flying start.

The group aims to improve the lives of young children in Summerston and the surrounding areas by engaging them in constructive activities that encourage friendship and co-operation.  The children have access to a whole range of fun-filled activities.

The forum has been so successful that the activities have had to be extended and hosted on two evenings per week. The forum is already attracting 87 children every week and has had to split into both junior and senior age groups comprising children in primaries 1-3 and p 4-7.

Speaking at the launch, Scottish National Party MSP Bob Doris said: "We have known for years that more needs to be done to encourage young children to be active and to be involved in the local community. The volunteers at Summerston are leading the way here.

"We have huge problems in Maryhill with too many kids at a loose end in the evenings. Youth groups need to be encouraged to get off the ground. Local parents have taken the initiative here and I applaud their efforts.

Julie Hyslop, Chair of Caldercuilt Youth Forum, added: "I’ve lived in Summerston all of my life. Over the years we’ve been promised facilities for our kids and instead we got a pub and a bookies.

"Kids aren’t born bad, they’re made bad. We need to give them things to do so they can take pride in their community and in themselves. That’s the way to tackle anti-social behaviour.

"There’s hardly any youth clubs in Maryhill and our main objective will be to expand the group to cover all of the primary schools in Summerston including Park View and St Blane’s.

"We’ve had a tough fight to even get community lets for one extra night a week. We want this programme running every night of the week and we will need somewhere to go.

Bob Doris added: "Maryhill is crying out for youth groups and the council needs to provide local facilities for them to use. That the Council are now planning to close the Cadder Centre and Ledgowan Hall is madness. I am currently in talks about the future of both sites and the possibility of community ownership. Clearly, if a small group like this has a problem getting a local let there should be extra facilities getting built, not the current ones getting shut down.

"Caldercuilt Youth Forum is an example of the huge demand for community youth groups in the area."

Note:

Parliamentary Motion lodged 15 March 2010:

S3M-05958 Bob Doris (Glasgow) (Scottish National Party): Congratulations to Summerston Youth Forum—
That the Parliament congratulates the highly successful Summerston Youth Forum, which was established only in 2009 yet now attracts upwards of 80 children each week; notes that, due to the early success of the forum, the range of activities on offer will now have to be extended and hosted on two evenings per week and will have both junior and senior sections; praises the many volunteers who have given their time and energy to improving the lives of young children in Summerston and the surrounding area, and believes that the official launch of the Youth Forum on Tuesday 16 March 2010 is a welcome landmark for all involved.