HOUSEHOLDERS will be asked to have their say on two schemes to improve the life of young people this weekend.

The organisers of the North Hinksey Parish Plan, which covers the Botley area of Oxford, want to create the area’s first youth club for 30 years – to engage local children and attempt to cut the amount of vandalism and graffiti in the area.

Meanwhile North Hinksey Parish Council is launching a consultation tomorrow as part of plans to establish a keep-fit ‘trim trail’ and multi-use games area in the upper Louie Memorial Playing Fields for youngsters and pupils at Matthew Arnold School, on Cumnor Hill.

The council spent £65,000 on a new play area for young children in July 2008. But it still has about £50,000 to invest in play facilities for older children.

And it hopes to receive extra funding to pump in even more cash.

Parish council chairman Briony Newport said: “People moan that the kids aren’t so well behaved, but the kids are bored because they need things to do.

“If the fields are wet and mucky, at least the children could go to a hardstanding area to play sport.”

It is hoped the multi-use games area will provide a fenced off area for children to play football, basketball, netball and cricket.

The trim-trail is likely to contain eight pieces of fitness equipment – such as hurdles, a ladder walk and equipment for chin-ups and sit-ups.

People living in the area will also be able to give the council their views on the future of the Botley skate bowl, which has been declared too expensive to repair after a stolen van was driven into it and set alight last year.

Talking about the youth club idea, parish plan organiser Jenny Barker said: “We have got a large young population and there isn’t really anywhere for them to go.

“We have a problem with graffiti, but is that because the enjoy defacing things or because they have nothing else to do?

“If kids come along and tell us what they want, we can look at providing that. Then they would have ownership of the club and will support it.”

The consultation event for the games area and trim trail will take place at Seacourt Hall, Chapel Way, between 9.30am and 12.30pm tomorrow (Saturday, Feb 21).

The drop-in session to set up a youth club takes place at Botley Baptist Church Hall in Chapel Way on Sunday, between 2pm and 5pm.

cwalker@oxfordmail.co.uk