The young team

Meet the young people putting the OK in PollOK.  The Greenbridge Initiative has captured the imagination of hundreds of youngsters and is making a real difference to their community.

Who says?  Gary Watt, 17 and Naomi Bowie, 14, say so.  And when they talk about the initiative, it is with a passion.

Says Gary, now a volunteer assistant: "The Initiative gives young people something to do and gets them off the streets.  We organise trips to go-karting and leisure centres.  But the great thing is, we are all meeting new friends.  There used to be rival gangs fighting, but now a lot of young people are coming here and are friends.  You don't see as much fighting."

Naomi, who attends the local Lourdes Secondary School, loves the Initiative: "Before we would have just been standing about on the street in groups having a laugh, now we are here and there are lots of activities.  I love drama and we are working on a new production just now.  The great thing is I have made new friends."

OVERVIEW

Margaret Smith, the senior youth worker with Greenbridge Initiative, financed by Fairer Scotland Fund provided through GCPP, has no doubt where the success lies: "It's the enthusiasm of the young people themselves.  We have around seven volunteers like Gary and they take the lead.  They have got involved in producing a DVD about gangs and the lack of youth facilities, organising trips, drama groups and drop in meetings.  All the time they are learning to communicate and are making friends."