Screening out anti-social behaviour in High Wycombe

(Image supplied by Action4Youth)

A local youth charity and a cinema in High Wycombe town centre have joined forces to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Youth charity Action4Youth and the Cineworld cinema in High Wycombe have been working together on a new approach to tackling anti-social behaviour which has led to a free screening of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania for young people.

The initiative follows various post-lockdown issues that have caused disruption for many cinema goers. Films have interrupted by people running in front of the screen or fire alarms being set off. Cinema staff have also been subject to abuse.

Showing one of the biggest film releases of 2023 so far was the brainchild of Glenn Goodwill, General Manager at Cineworld High Wycombe, working with The Junction youth club run by Action4Youth, High Wycombe BID, Thames Valley Police and the Eden Centre Management.

The pilot event, which was held on Saturday 4th March 2023, went really well. Glenn said: ‘Some of our team were apprehensive and nervous about inviting in the youth club, given some of the antisocial behaviour and abuse that we’d endured over the past year from the youth of Wycombe. However, the group that came in where fantastic, and showed not only that they appreciated what we were trying to do, but also what great work the youth club does to support our young people.‘

Ayobami Akinolugbade and his team at The Junction work with more than 1,000 young people a month from across High Wycombe. Ayobami understands the issues that bored and disengaged young people can create. Ayobami said: ‘If we value and appreciate something then we are more inclined to respect it. It’s good for us to work positively together with organisations like the cinema to encourage young people to enjoy what High Wycombe offers us all as a community, and to see how we can all support each other to appreciate life here.‘

The cinema is now looking at holding another invitation-only free event for young people.

Further information about Action4Youth can be found on the Action4Youth website at www.action4youth.org.

*Source of article : Press release on behalf of Action4Youth.