A Manchester charity has launched a campaign calling for all youngsters to be given FREE use of sports facilities.
The Youth Charter group want to collect 100,000 signatures for a petition backing the move.
They say a lack of access to football pitches, basketball courts and sports centres for teenagers was a key factor behind August’s riots.
And they say that agreeing free entry for under-18s would create a lasting legacy for next year’s Olympics.
The Charter’s executive chair, five-time world karate champion Geoff Thompson, wants the issue debated in Parliament.
He said: "The 2012 London Games present a huge opportunity for the sporting world to leave a lasting legacy for the young people of Great Britain but in order to make that happen we need to be sure of the plans to be implemented."
Mr Thompson, who has been based in Manchester for almost 20 years, said: "The Games can help address the ongoing social and cultural disaffection of young people that was in evidence this summer.
"The e-petition must be signed by 100,000 people in order to see the issue debated in the House of Commons. If successful, it could help support one of the organising committee’s key legacy pledges that ‘one million additional young people engage in sport and physical activity’."
Manchester council currently provides free access to swimming pools for the under 16s.
Coun Mike Amesbury said: "I welcome this campaign. Manchester city council recognises the importance of making sport available to young people which is why we have chosen to maintain free swimming for under-16s despite the loss of central funding for this scheme.
"We would love to see this extended to other sports and activities if central government could release funding to make it possible."
The petition can be signed at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/17444
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yes they might give or consider free access to under's-16's, but with doing this they would double the cost for adults or something to cover the cost
I work within sports development, and before that have completed both an undergraduate and post graduate course in the same field. By no means would I suggest I am an expert, or have seen it all, however, its is pretty clearly demonstrated by past projects held nationally that the provision of free access to activity does little t create behavioural change. For example, the national free swimming initiative, although widely appreciated by families, has not led to a significant increase in recreational pool users once the free swimming ended.
I would suggest that although this petition has fantastic intentions, it should aim to provide a highly discounted rate to young people, such as 80%. In doing so they are achieving thier aim of reducing the cost of activity, but what they are also doing is empoering families to make that change on their own terms, with an acknowledgement that there is a cost to activity. This has been proven to be a better model than free activity, as families value the service being provided. It wuld also mean that the facility or club did not loose out fully on free members, and so could lead to a wider acceptance of the need for these centres to continue this in the future- as has been the case on the disadvantaged childrens programme I manage.
Sports facilities used to be free for kids.
They were in schools.