'Youth hub at shopping centre I used to wreck has saved me'

For Demi, her local shopping centre was a place she went to cause trouble with a big group of friends out of sheer boredom.

She and around 50 others were a major nuisance in the Frenchgate Centre, winding up security and causing police to be called to the mall in Doncaster.

The now-18-year-old admits she and the others used to "wreck the place" during sprees of anti-social behaviour.

"It was through boredom, there was nothing for us to do, there were no places for us to hang out."

Yet the reformed teenage tearaway now credits a youth hub set up in the same shopping centre as the place that has transformed her future.

EPIC (Encouraging Potential and Inspiring Change) opened its base in the Frenchgate four years ago, and without it, Demi thinks her life would have taken a very different path.

"I think I would have completely ruined my life if I didn't have EPIC. I think I'd have ended up in a police custody suite."

The support of the staff at the youth hub has enabled Demi to start studying at college.

"They actually talk to people, and them treating you like an adult shows you can be a human being and not just think you can cause trouble all the time. There's people to support you and help you get through the hard times."

South Yorkshire Police, Doncaster Council and the privately-owned Frenchgate have worked together to tackle the issues with low-level crime that were plaguing the mall, which first opened in 1968 and underwent a major expansion in 2006, when it was integrated with the bus and railway stations.

The three stakeholders won a national prize at the Resolve ASB Awards in February for projects including the EPIC hub, which is council-run and offers a safe place to go for support for 200 young people every week. Access is free.

It is part of the council's wider EPIC education and outreach programme, and signposts those aged 10-17 to a range of activities that can have a positive impact on their lives.

They can also simply hang out with friends there, or play snooker, table football and video games.

Tom Chambers is the deputy manager at the youth hub.

"What we've learned is that by having the support network in the city centre for young people to turn to, if shops are dealing with issues, our team can go and liaise with those young people to have those conversations because they've got that relationship built with us."

South Yorkshire Police said they had listened to people's concerns around anti-social behaviour in Doncaster city centre and have significantly increased their presence there.

PC Jake Hale's neighbourhood team covers the Frenchgate, and he says an action plan has just been introduced in the area.

"The more information you give us, the better placed we are to tackle anti-social behaviour. We are here as much as we can be in the city centre providing a visible presence to tackle it."

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