A PROJECT aimed at nipping antisocial behaviour in Cricklade in the bud has been given the go-ahead by Wiltshire Council.

The six-week scheme will see youth workers visiting known areas where youths gather to find out what is needed to divert them from causing trouble.

It comes in the wake of reports of vandalism and graffiti in the town over the past few months.

The Cricklade and Royal Wootton Basset area board this week agreed £545 funding that will allow youth development workers Jude Deaman and Jess Ovens to target youngsters between the ages of 13 and 19 with street youth work sessions.

“It is a small project initially, just basically trying to engage with these young people,” said Jude. “We go and introduce ourselves and get to know them.”

“Very often the kind of young people that we are talking about do not want to join things like Scouts and Guides . They just want to hang with their friends, which is OK as long as they do it in a place where they don’t tend to get bored.”

She and Jess started Connecting Youth in 2014 when it was discovered there was a need for youth workers in Wootton Bassett and Lyneham. Initially they were funded for a 12 –week project and they were supported by the town’s vicar who provided a space for an after school club.

The pair had both been made redundant by Wiltshire Council – Jude had been a youth worker for 10 years before getting the push. Jess was starting out on her career.

Now they are into their second year and their work has extended to Cricklade as well as Malmesbury where they run an after school club.

“We are lucky the area board and out local councillors are very supportive of us,” said Jude. “They recognise their young people are disengaged.”

She said: “One of the main problems when the youth development centre closed in Wootton Bassett was that there were groups of young people on the par, but they were groups of 30.”

The noise generated complaints. “They were moved on so they went on to the high street.”

In Cricklade residents have complained of noise, graffiti and vandalism. AFC Cricklade was hit in the summer with fires lit in the dugouts at the leisure centre, broken bottles on the pitch and vital brackets stolen from the goalposts.

Players were having to put up and dismantle a set of old goalposts before and after every match.

The six week project, which starts in October 2, is aimed at finding out what is needed.

“We need to ascertain what they want. You have to form a relationship or you are never going to get them indoors. They need to realise who they are dealing with and that we are not the police,” said Jude.

The street work includes offering information on subjects like bullying, mental health, drugs and sexual health as well as quizzes and games.