Hampshire Teens to get Free Quad-biking Lessons this Summer
Access All Areas is a major Hampshire campaign organised and run through several community organisations, youth services and the police and fire services. It’s aimed at teaching teens new skills, giving them fun activities to do during the summer holidays, such as quad-biking, DJ workshops and henna-face-painting, and keeping them out of trouble. In 2013 over 1000 young people registered to take part in events around the county and it’s to be hoped that this year that number will be surpassed. The campaign started on 28th July and will finish on the 13th August.
The scheme, open to any children aged 11-17 either living or going to school in Fareham or Winchester, puts on events in locations such as Castle Street Rec Ground in Portchester, and Winchester Sports Stadium. The range of activities is simply incredible – besides those already mentioned, it includes driving lessons, drumming, scuba diving, laser clay-pigeon shooting and a host of fun physical stuff such as climbing walls and assault courses. Anyone eligible can take part in as many activities as they want!
Quad-biking, diving and such will be put on by experienced professionals, and will hopefully give these teenagers an interest in and passion for activities they may not have considered before. Naturally parents and educators will be fully behind the initiative, since it teaches new skills and gets kids out of the house for the day. And police too are supportive, pointing out that a lot of anti-social, even criminal behaviour by young people during the summer holidays is caused by boredom and frustration at a lack of things to do. Last year’s Access All Areas is thought to have contributed to a drop of 10% in such anti-social behaviour.
And for anyone who’s attended Access All Areas this year, we hope you had a great time. If you tried the quad-biking and enjoyed it, we’d like to point out that there are several fantastic locations in Hampshire where you can indulge in some more riding, such as just outside Winchester, amid beautiful scenery, where the bikes are either 125cc or 50cc for younger riders, or a great purpose-built track in Southampton. Ideal to hone your skills!
