A MOVE has been made in Leominster to bring young and old together to avoid disputes.

Eaton Close, a sheltered housing scheme owned and managed by Marches Housing Association, is close to the Minster College and forms part of a well-used shortcut to the town centre.

Scheme manager Lynn Griffiths feared problems that have arisen in recent weeks could lead to a 'falling out' between the generations. She decided to get people together.

She teamed up with Minster College deputy principal Richard Davies to organise a community project.

Twelve young people from the college are making regular visits to the residents at Eaton Close to do gardening, shopping and other jobs for the residents.

Feelings

Louise Canning, police community support officer, has also become involved to foster good relationships in the community and to encourage the youngsters by 'pitching in' and helping with the gardening.

"Residents here were getting pretty irate about the behaviour of a few of the youngsters from The Minster College and this kind of situation can get blown out of all proportion whereby suddenly all youngsters are evil!" said Lynn Griffiths. "Equally, the youngsters might react badly to one elderly person venting their anger on someone and suddenly all old people are miserable killjoys.

"We wanted to show both our residents and the youngsters at the school that peaceful coexistence is possible, especially if both groups were able to understand and appreciate the concerns and feelings of the other.

"We hope that by having regular contact, the youngsters will understand the fears and concerns of the older people at Eaton Close, and equally, that our residents will understand that most youngsters are actually law abiding, friendly people keen to co-exist happily with the older people in our society."

Richard Davies at the Minster said: "Any opportunity that can bring different people in our community closer together, has to be worthwhile.

"The college is happy to support this community project 100 per cent. We understand older people's concerns about the seemingly boisterous and sometimes thoughtless behaviour of younger people, but we feel the youngsters at our college will better appreciate their concerns if they have regular contact and begin to communicate with them as part of this project.''