Suffolk church concerned entire generation will be lost to life of crime
The church in Red Lodge is trying to do something about it
Last updated 29th Mar 2022
A Suffolk church says it's concerned an entire generation of young people could be lost to a life of crime - so it's trying to do something about it.
The Lightwave Rural Resource Church in Red Lodge is opening up safe spaces and offering sports to encourage young people away from potential anti-social behaviour.
Diane Grano is their leader and says they're focusing on giving all young people a space to feel safe and socialise to make them feel safer and reduce anti-social behaviour.
Volunteers from her church have organised spaces for young people to to come and take part in activities.
Diane told us about the Church that is involved in organising these activities: "We were funded by the Church of England, by the Bishops Mission order to look at how do we make church accessible to people that don't go to church and and what's happening in our local community.
"So the plant in Red Lodge was to focus on the rural villagers.
"With the new build developments, there's very little contribution to social spaces and places for young people to do stuff.
"So we found them walking around doing with nothing to do and complaining.
"Whilst the Red Lodge, has the mugger and the sports field. It is a rented out and hired 2 clubs. So it's paid and not all children and young people have the funds to do that.
"Our aim is to give every child an opportunity to, at the very least to explore faith. Hear about Christianity so that they can make a choice.
"It's to give them a safe space to meet new friends and have a support group.
"They say young people matter, only for the future, they matter today. They should have a voice today."
Youth Group
The church started these activities in September 2019 and currently, around 50 children are using the facilities, however Diane told us there is definitely opportunity to grow, as "the children are out there."
Diane told us about how the Church is getting young people involved within these activities: "We we look at every age and stage of children. So the idea is to take them from a very young age and then grow with them and build those really meaningful relationships over as they grow and become teenagers."
The group has café time for parents and toddlers as well as time for children about to join high school/secondary school, allowing them to make friends at a developmental time so that the transition from one school to another is made easier.
Not only this but the group has recently gained access to the sports field.
Diane told us the positive influence this is having already: "We've got the field for an hour on a Friday evening and that is just drawn loads of children, girls and boys just coming to kick the ball around.
"So what we've seen is their children, if they had something else to do, the default for computer games and online.
"We have really seen that they're happy to play board games, happy to do karaoke together. They're happy to kick the ball on the mugger and just hang out with their friends.
"Another motivating factor for Diane, is making sure the children dint engage with gang culture and activities. Diane is not a member of the Parish council, but attends the meetings.
"I basically say to the Parish Council, if it's not going to change. It's going to get worse. County lands his wrath. They were noted as active in Red Lodge.
"The the parish council did well to put cameras up and and they've really managed to engage with the local police to make sure that we've just got a handle on this. And I think it has worked and we are active there as well.
"So children are coming to us, it's very difficult for county lands to to engage when these activity with adults around.
"I've said to the Parish Council, unless we intervene, and do something for the youth. The problem is going to get worse.
"We have to support our young people. It's a generation that will be lost if we don't invest in, in their lives.
"We would be foolish to to think that it doesn't exist.
"It exists. It's real, it's happening. We have to have alternatives. Safe spaces where children feel they belong.
"Come and be able to have the confidence to say no or to be able have a trusting relationship with with our volunteers and adults.
"And to be able to say I'm really concerned and I'm afraid, because sometimes teenagers are not going to share that with their own parents because they will feel this is wrong and how am I gonna tell my parents, because I've now got involved with this.
"Creating these spaces gives place for children to say, I'm really afraid this is what's happened. I don't know if I should tell my parents.
"And you can encourage them to speak to their parents, or just support them and go with them if that's what they want."
Diane is optimistic that more people will join and is looking to start a football team in the future.