Marsh Community Centre in Lancaster

Lancaster Guardian

Marsh Community Centre in Lancaster is hosting Green Week from Tuesday, February 13 to Wednesday, February 14. Children and adults alike can enjoy eco-friendly activities on both days.

Transcript

00:00 A lot of people say it's good being on your own, but I don't think it is.

00:05 And we should have more things like this community centre going on.

00:09 I think it would help the young people and the elderly people have somewhere to go.

00:14 When I first came to this area it was in the early stages of planning.

00:18 There was a lot of anti-social behaviour.

00:20 The crime rate was really high because there was just nothing for the young people to do.

00:24 Some families lead quite chaotic lives and don't have the resources, the finance or wherewithal to get out.

00:33 So this centre provides a lifeline for those children.

00:37 It takes all your energy out of you. You're not naughty. You're not giddy in that.

00:43 A lot of the ones who have been in trouble with anti-social behaviour, we've helped them.

00:49 One of the pupils from Central High came here, finished off her schooling.

00:53 She's got a Level 2 in plumbing and stayed out of trouble.

00:56 So it's a good place for them to come and us kind of keep them on the right track.

01:02 The amount of problems we've solved, and some of them massively serious problems, is unbelievable.

01:09 She got into bad ways. I had nowhere to go.

01:12 I was into drugs and all that and it was just getting worse and worse.

01:16 I'd end up in prison or somewhere or maybe even dead.

01:21 Everyone else shoves people off, whereas Debbie and I sit down and listen to what they've got to say and stuff like that.

01:28 That's the best they've done for me. They've kept me on track from when I felt down.

01:31 I just know there's a lot to talk to and I know the centre's here, so it's all good.

01:36 If the place wasn't here, there would be more violence. There would probably be more drug deaths.

01:40 There would be more homelessness. There would be people unable to eat.

01:45 So the food club's been running for quite a few years now. We're using food that would just go into the bin.

01:50 It does help out, like making your fresh meals. You get meat, fruit, veg and you're milking your bread for a fiver.

01:55 I come here for company and companionship. It's like a small family and I love coming.

02:01 When I can't come, I get very upset.

02:05 Deb helps people with signing on and understanding the really complex benefits system,

02:10 getting in touch with the health system, getting a GP or a dentist.

02:14 She'll help people with all sorts of problems.

02:17 We are a charity and we are constantly looking for funding, which is really time consuming,

02:23 which then prevents us from doing people-to-people work, which is what we're about really.

02:29 Imagine a place where, when you're at your lowest ebb, where nobody will help, and it sounds like a movie,

02:35 but true, when you're on drugs or you're on alcohol or your world's ending or you feel like it is,

02:40 imagine a place you can go to. Well, this is that place.

02:44 [Background noise]

02:51 [Silence]

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