What a brilliant initiative on the Green in Devizes this week, and a pleasure to see what can only be described as a “mobile youth club.” It pitched up every day this week, with kids of all ages enjoying the facilities it provides. Me, ageing, either sleeping, working or complaining about sleeping or working, managed to completely overlook its very existence, while my kids and better half were aware of it.
Why am I the last to know about everything? Because I can’t be expected to look past my phone these days, relying on the book of face for my news, in-between sleeping and working! Councillor Jonathon Hunter Facebook posted about it, I inquired, perhaps unintentionally sternly, but only as a senior moment, I couldn’t see from the photos quite what the deal was!
So, I ventured down to see for myself, and aside the drizzle, it was in full swing. A volleyball net currently unattended, collapsible football goals with a group playing between them just beyond it, and at the van, children are surfing the net, or else playing a Tony Hawks skateboarding game on a console. There’s drinks, sweets and doughnuts aplenty, and Steve Dewar stands proudly by it.
Other features of the mobile youth club include a rock-climbing wall, which couldn’t come out to play because of the rain.
I was surprised to hear it had been in operation for five years. “I’ve been running Potterne Youth Club for about ten years,” Steve explained, and moved onto why it hadn’t been advertised on Facebook and other social media. “The reality is we don’t, because Facebook isn’t the best place to communicate with teenagers. It’s detached work; what we do is pitch up and engage with the young people there, we do it throughout the whole week, and day-on-day there’s an increase.”
Steve couldn’t see the point in me mentioning his mobile youth club, adamant the best form of communication for younger people is face-to-face, and besides, it was the last day it pitched on the Green, moving onto Trowbridge next week. I beg to differ, for if only to pay tribute to this guy and the wonderful work he does. In the plight of social facilities for children and youth clubs multiplied by this post-lockdown era, what Steve does here is at last as positive spin and proof amidst the doom and gloom of public services, there’s still saints like Steve, out their engaging youth the best way he knows how.
The opposite effect of a lack of amenities for youth is unfortunately anti-social behaviour, juvenile crime and possible drinking and drug taking, as we all know. Steve mentioned how the charity aided awareness and prevention of these difficult predicaments. But all the time, parents were always viewed as runners-up, his focus was entirely on the wellbeing of the children, except when he offered me a doughnut, kindly donated by Morrisons! The youth demographic there was all-encompassing, and clearly, they all enjoyed it equally.
It’s certainly evident here, social media is not needed to make kids aware of an occasion, it works by word-of-mouth as it always has. Grown up with it fed to them, rather it’s the adults who engage more with the internet, and while kids are still out, running, jumping and playing sports and games outdoors, a large majority of generation X are glued to their devises, ironically whinging that the kids are glued to their devises! I knew this, I’m guilty too, but it was great to actually witness evidence of it happening in our own town.
Steve also noted he attends local schools to let them know about the project. The van moves across the county, planning to pitch up in Trowbridge. “We’d love to do it more,” Steve expressed, “as a concept we could run this throughout the entire summer holidays, but because I work in schools termtime as well, my wife would kill me if I spent my entire summer holiday doing this! And also, financially as a charity, we get a little bit funding, and if we had more, we would plan to do more.”
And I conclude, ultimately, what an absolutely fantastic and inspiring guy, I tip my hat to Steve Dewar, and ask science, can we clone this chap?! We need more facilities like this, operating throughout the county and school holidays, we need more Steves!
Trending….
Should Wiltshire Council Fly the Pride Flag?
Wiltshire Council will discuss granting itself permission to fly the Pride Progress flag outside County Hall and other Wiltshire Council offices during Pride Month. The proposal raises the usual heated online debate. The question is, should Wiltshire Council be allowed to fly the Pride Flag? Save them the effort of a lengthy and costly meeting,…
Devizes Teenage Gardener Banned from Local Facebook Group for Promoting their Business!
Sixteen year-old entrepreneur, Katie West from Devizes, set up her own gardening business, FreshEdge Teen Landscaping a few months ago, but received a ban from the popular local Facebook group Devizes Issues, trying to promote it. In the scheme of things if it sounds petty to you, it’ll probably be what it is….. The cost…
Former Lavington School Students Reunite for Cancer Research’s Race for Life
They might appear like sticks of broccoli on their featured image, with no logical explanation as to why, but they actually are two former students of Lavington School, who are reuniting to enter Cancer Research’s Race for Life in Salisbury on 21st June….. Lauren Mesquita and Jess Worrow pledge to complete the 5k run raising…
No Election Here; What Did Wiltshire Councillors Do on Election Day?!
No jumping bandwagon election articles from us this week; we’ve had no election here, move along if that’s what you came here looking for! But, what were our Wiltshire Councillors up to on election day, instead of temptingly campaigning with a bag of peanut M&Ms outside polling stations, or nervously twitching in their seats?! We…
M3G, De-Anchored
At the end of last year Chippenham singer-songwriter M3G released the single Rooks. I felt it set her bar at a whole new higher level. I’m glad to report the follow up single, De-Anchored, is equally angelic, and was released today….. It might not raise the bar much from Rooks, but it maintains the same…
The UK’s Biggest Festival…. at Trowbridge’s Pump?
Yes, you did read this correctly! As lovely as our premier grassroots venue, The Pump in Trowbridge is, you might be stretched to imagine it hosting the UK’s biggest festival without at least someone squishing your toes! Without any appropriate safety footwear, allow me to explain….. The Music Venue Trust and The National Lottery have…
Riotous Cult Comedy Bullshot Crummond Comes to Bath in Support of Men’s Mental Health Charity
The Rondo Theatre in Bath will be bursting with high-energy chaos this June as The Rondo Theatre Company presents Bullshot Crummond, a gloriously silly parody of 1930s adventure stories, all in aid of Man Down….. Running from Wednesday 17th to Saturday 20th June 2026, this fast-paced comedy follows the dashing (and deeply ridiculous) hero Bullshot…
Preaching at The Pulpit – Mark Harrison at The Pulpit, Swindon May 6th 2026
By Ian Diddams Images by Ed Dyke Is he a musician? Is he a raconteur? Is he a comedian? Well – he is all of these things – a singer/songwriter, wrapped up in a story teller, inside a dry, laconic wit that is delivered as “Suave” Mark Harrison, his self-appointed nomenclature. And indeed, he was…
Ready for RowdeFest?
Not long now, for Rowdefest! Which, as the name suggests, is in Rowde, near Devizes, on Saturday 30th May, and is a free, community spirited family mini-festival with the ethos and atmosphere of a festival and village fete combined; what more could you possibly ask for?! Well, I’ve got some exciting details to reveal, some…
Nothing Orange; Arts Festival Brings Home Devizes Phenomenon
Four years ago I witnessed a Gen Z phenomenon in Devizes. With a certain indie punk zest and intelligent songwriting, Devizes School band Nothing Rhymes With Orange built a local following I once compared to Beatlemania. Staging their own gigs and recording original songs, they harnessed appeal from a dedicated fanbase. By the summer of…
devizine.com 