Bid to rid Bay of hostility towards foreign students
BAY youngsters and visiting foreign students have got together in a bid to combat hostilities.
An event run by the police and Safer Communities Torbay brought together 30 young residents and 20 visiting Spanish students at Paignton's Victoria Park Youth Centre.
About 15,000-20,000 international students visit Torbay each summer to visit attractions and learn the language and culture but some experience hostile behaviour from a minority of the Bay's younger residents.
The 'bonding' event saw the young people of Victoria Park Youth Centre and the Devon School of English take part in an evening of activities including football, tennis, interactive computer singing and dancing.
Chris Roots, of the youth centre, said: "I am really proud of how the Paignton youngsters interacted with the Spanish students. I hope we can organise more events like this in the future."
Rachael Weaver, of Safer Communities Torbay, added: "The event was a real success, showing that a lot of potential conflicts between young people can be avoided by putting things on like this to develop relationships and understanding between the cultures.
"It was a fun-packed evening which seemed to be enjoyed by all."
Police and Safer Communities have launched operation Torbay Visiting International Students to deliver safety talks to new arrivals. This event was in addition to the preventative work young on to 'spark bonding between the Bay's young people and visiting students'.
8 Comments
by Simon Nelson, Leisure Manager at LAL Torbay Language Centre.
Wednesday, August 11 2010, 12:51PM
“We have around 500 in the summer. Kids are kids all over the world, but 13 years here has taught me, give me 500 kids from outside the UK or 500 kids from the UK, no contest. These kids have to go back, we are stuck with the hoodies, thugs and such like all the time. Take a good look around, I don't see the shop and traders complaining about the money they bring to this dying UK hotspot which British people don't come to any more.”
by Impartial Observer, Torbay
Monday, August 09 2010, 9:54PM
“Mrs Dixon's Husband wants quality shops and then says money isn't everything. How do we get quality shops if there are no jobs or tourists spending money in the town. Old moaners who stop every opportunity for jobs in the Bay are the reason that there are no quality shops; not the foreign students.
Personally, foreign students are a breath of fresh air in the town - young lively healthy people, rather than the old and the fat.”
by mark, torbay
Monday, August 09 2010, 8:19PM
“MY trip to canada even though just a holiday was a great reminder that there are still peopl in the world who live alternative lifes and there is a whole other world outside this puny little town. My trip to canada seemed like a journey to another world and a great i felt a great spiritual connection to the place. I could even smell the tree's in ontario from the aircraft at 37,000 ft. that place is a great reminder that there is so much more to do outside the uk”
by mark, torbay
Monday, August 09 2010, 8:11PM
“you guys on here displaying hostility towards visitors is the typical response from morons who have never stepped out of this little area. THe problem is torbay falserly advertises itself as a great place with lots to see and do when in reality students come down here and the bus company does not buy more buses to accomodate the extra passengers. they haven't even got enough buses to make an efficient service.”
by Mrs Dixon's Husband, Paignton
Monday, August 09 2010, 7:57PM
“You ask anyone who's been in Torquay a long time and they will all say Torquay is not a patch on how it was, with all the quality shops now disappeared. I want quality in our resort, not to be jostled by ignorant students hanging around MacDonalds and clogging up the streets. Let them go to Birmingham, so we can get on the buses again! Money isn't everything you know.”
by Impartial Observer, Torbay
Monday, August 09 2010, 6:36PM
“People like Mrs Dixon's Husband will not be happy until the whole Bay fits their image - old retired people living out their dotage with a small number of teas rooms, charity shops and retirement homes. Tourists, visitors or anything that promotes the Bay and its economy should be shunned as it interferes with their retirment. They have had everything givven to them on a plate - jobs, healthcare, wealth from property increases and they now want to stop the future of the Bay.
And unsurprisingly, they then complain that it's the youth that cause all the problems...”
by Phil, Torquay
Monday, August 09 2010, 6:16PM
“Mrs Dixon's Husband - Your narrow mindedness is befitting to many people in this town. Torbay is built on tourism & without which the area would be struggling even more than it already is.
I run a shop in fleet street where I'd say 70% of my summer business comes from these students. & without these students, my 20+ staff & I, would all be looking for alternative employment. They bring a lot of money into the local economy so it's about time you stopped having such selfish views & looked at the bigger picture, seeing what is best for the area and it's economy.”
by Mrs Dixon's Husband, Paignton
Monday, August 09 2010, 11:42AM
“Hostility? The simple answer....there's TOO MANY of them. A town like Torquay can only hold so many, until it looks swamped!”