Government vetting grounds teenagers

PRESS RELEASE

EMBARGO: Thursday 5 APRIL 2007

Government vetting grounds teenagers

The government’s heavy-handed approach to ‘safeguarding’ children is resulting in teenagers and children being banned from model flying and other hobby clubs up and down the country, according to a Manifesto Club report published today.

The Model Flying Clubs report findings include:

· Several model flying clubs have banned under-18s from joining and taking part in their activities
· Coaches at clubs are turning away youngsters, and other club members are refusing to help children who ask them for assistance.
· Teenagers are being turned away from hobby clubs if their parents are unable to accompany them to club meetings and events.

One former club member quoted in the report says ‘I left my club because we were told not to be seen talking to youngsters on our own.’ Josie Appleton, the report’s author, argues that such paranoia around child protection, and the government’s own Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, is closing down opportunities for children:

“The government wants more young people to join sports and hobby clubs – to get them off the streets, off the couch, and to encourage them to channel their energies in positive ways – yet its own child protection policies are leading to children being shut out of clubs.”

Child welfare expert, Tim Gill, outlines the benefits of hobby clubs for young people:

“When children find something they are good at and enjoy for its own sake, it raises their self-confidence and helps them to respond better to difficult situations elsewhere in their lives. Clubs offer young members a place where they feel a sense of belonging, and the chance to interact with people beyond home and school.”

Notes to editors:

Details of The Manifesto Club Model Flying Clubs report are embargoed until Thursday 5 April 2007.
There are around 780 model flying clubs, with over 3600 members, around the UK.
Child welfare policies implemented in model flying clubs include Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks for all coaches and obligatory child welfare officers.
When the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act comes into force in autumn 2008 CRB checks will become compulsory for all club members who volunteer with under-18s.
The Manifesto Club campaign, The Case Against Vetting, was launched in October 2006. Details of the campaign, the public petition and previous reports can be found at www.manifestoclub.com
For information, and for advance copies of the report, contact James Panton, Manifesto Club Press officer on 0779 279 5462 or press@manifestoclub.com