I am a young person from the Norton Radstock area, and I would like to share a piece of my world. Almost a year ago now, many of my friends and I were involved in the Primary Collective; a group of young people who were squatting the old school building in Radstock. Many of the people living there were having real trouble at home, or had nowhere else to go, and as a collective unit, we came together, and tried to make the best of our situation, envisioning a brighter future for ourselves and others. For those unfamiliar with our plans, we were making moves to turn the building, which was donated to the people of Radstock, and had been empty and unused for years previously, into a permanent home for those who really needed it. We were making efforts to follow all the necessary legal channels to do this legitimately. We also wrote up a proposal of our collective vision of turning the building, with its large hall and many rooms, into a communal space for ALL local people to utilise.
We saw the potential for this unused space, to be turned into something that could benefit a great number of people. In the short time we were there, we were holding regular drum and dj workshops, and had already had a request from a local drama group to come and use the space. We were also going to use the space for sports activities and art exhibitions, we were going to create a drop-in centre with a wealth of information for young people, and we were going to invite workshop leaders to come and share their knowledge and experience on a diverse range of topics. It was a really exciting time, and it felt like we were generating something positive for ourselves that could snowball into something much bigger. We had made contact with the local community, informing them of our intentions, and had received a huge boost of positive response, with support and encouragement coming from all quarters. A spirit of fresh hope and optimism was beginning to take hold.
A group of decent, well meaning, young people, with nowhere else to go, and nowhere to turn, we were taking our lives into our own hands, and doing what we could to initiate our dreams into being. Our wishes were simple; a home to call our own, where we found solace in the community that we were all a part of together, and the opportunity to create something for ourselves that would make us feel positive about our lives. Much to our intense frustration, the building was then taken away from us. I am fortunate in that I have somewhere to call my own home, but others are not so lucky. There are no services for the many young homeless in this area; and, if nothing else, I feel that at least our time at the old school building highlighted the urgent problem that exists, in the need to offer these disenfranchised people the support they need.
Despite the despondency that was felt after we lost the building, there is a really strong community of young people in this area, who all provide each other with support. We hold free parties in the area, creating a space for ourselves where we can come together, and share in happiness our communal spirit, celebrating our lives together, and expressing ourselves through music and dance. A general atmosphere of tolerance and acceptance pervades through these parties, a stark contrast to what is often felt at commercial clubs, and music events that are provided in town centres. Once again, we are using our initiative in creating these spaces for ourselves.
It is amazing that we have such a strong camaraderie between us, and that we have pushed to change our worlds for the better, but there is also a real issue that needs to be addressed. Where is the external support? Why are these young people without a home, and who is there to help them? It is my view that the services that are in place do not necessarily deliver what they promise, whether through a lack of funds or through a lack of genuine engagement, and the views of the young people themselves can often go unheard. I also believe that there is a pandemic of young people who have grown up with a vacuity of emotional support from the family unit.
I feel that I need to briefly mention ketamine as well; a drug that is used in veterinary and medical practise, and whose recreational use has become massively popular, both in this area and worldwide. Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic, and numbs people to their lives, their feelings and their awareness. I have been involved in promoting awareness of the serious, extensive damage that ketamine causes to the physical body. I find it alarming how many young people are feeling the need to sedate themselves with this drug, and feel it is indicative of the deeper-rooted problems that need to be faced. If there was a proper network of support available, and they had somewhere to turn, these young people may be better equipped to deal with their lives and their emotions, rather than seeking to shut themselves down, destroying their bodies in the process.
(part of this letter was printed in the Somerset Guardian on Sept 25th to highlight the plight of homeless and other disadvantaged Young People in the Norton Radstock area)