Having previously reported that Friary students took 1st and 2nd place in the Lichfield Live Young Journalised Articles we wanted to share the articles which won the plaudits.
The articles were also published on Lichfield Live and can be viewed here.
2nd Place – Finley Barton (Y13)
How do you view local facilities specifically aimed at teenagers and young people in your local area and do you feel you have a voice ?
“Teenagers in Lichfield are limited in choice; there are few desirable facilities that are aimed specifically at the requirements of teenagers. The local facilities in Lichfield are perceived to be aimed more towards the younger generation with a vast number of playgrounds and kids’ parks, but there are little to no facilities for teenagers to use in Lichfield. A cinema was once was rumoured to occur but has been a distant idea for many years but is now set to return to the city as approved by the Lichfield district Council in October 2022.
However, despite the limitations in Lichfield there is a multi-use games area containing a half pipe, football goals, basketball nets and a set of outdoor exercise equipment. This facility appeals to teenagers, allowing them to have fun with their friends, allowing them to play the sports that they enjoy and providing the option to casually play between sports while supporting their mental health releasing serotonin through physical activities.
This facility allows teenagers to gather and make new friends and build positive relationships with adults, widening the social skills they uphold. This has a positive influence on teenagers building self-esteem and self-worth within society, taking away from the stress and reality of the strenuous years faced in teenage years.
Lichfield also provides a skatepark facility which is a good place for teenagers to meet up from across different schools and backgrounds with the same hobbies and interests increasing the social lives of teenagers. Especially after Covid, the skatepark offers a chance to be outdoors and active improving the mental health and wellbeing of teenagers while having fun. As teenagers, we are bombarded with pressure and new responsibilities; the skatepark allows us to relive a sense of childlike memories and fun away from stress, improving our happiness.
Despite the positive effects these few facilities have, we as teenagers have never been offered an opinion or real say in the decisions of the facilities being built in the area. These facilities only provide for a limited number of people, not tailoring to the whole population of youth in Lichfield. There is no visible line of communication between teenagers and decision making of what we are deemed to want based on expectations and stereotypes. There should be a constant conversation with schools and teenagers concerning what we want and what we would like in Lichfield, especially as those making these decisions are not in fact teenagers or have experienced teenage life in this day and age and the decision is made by adults in isolation at board meetings.
I feel as though teenagers do not receive a voice in society, and are told what we do and do not want, such as youth clubs, which are associated with a negative stigma and are run by adults still controlling what is going on and monitoring the events that take place just like in school; where in actual fact teenagers need an escape from the schooling environment, not an alternative institution of the same purpose. These facilities are still not leaving the decision down to teenagers to make that choice; therefore despite being specifically aimed at teenagers they do not meet their needs and requirements.
Overall, there are not enough facilities within the Lichfield area for teenagers to feel the urge to go and spend time in these areas to be able to cool down and relax from their stresses and workload from the school environment. The facilities that are in Lichfield do not fully cater for and meet the requirements of teenagers due to being designed and built solely by adults; therefore, Lichfield is in desperate need for more specifically aimed facilities chosen and voted on by teenagers for us to have a voice in the society we live in and feel as though we are entitled to a voice within it.”
Matt Allman, Headteacher, said: “We had Finn join us just later in his school career but he work superbly well, flew through his GCSEs, and has continued to impress ever since. He makes a compelling argument, carries it well, and is just as articulate as he is in every face-to-dace conversation. We are delighted with him for his success in this competition.”
