Things for young people in Stafford.

[KateBee]

Hi there

We are looking at moving from London to Stafford after having our young children- we need more space and my partner is from there. His parents also there as well as a network of friends.

I’ve been and like it in terms of Cannock chase and the southern suburbs which all seem nice and leafy, lots of local shops etc and great schools. However I’m worried about what my children will do when they are teenagers- I visited the town centre which like many people have warned me, was utter rubbish. Would hate to think of my children hanging around the town or just the local coop!

I’d be interested to hear from parents who have or have had children grow up in Stafford- was it limiting when they reached teenage years ?

Is it common for teenagers in Stafford to travel independently to Birmingham for shopping and cafes ? I know that depends on the individual child and their maturity but just wondered if it’s a thing.

Many thanks

X

 

[Theresa Green]

Stafford is cheap for a reason

 

[kyoto49]

There are sports clubs, a leisure centre of sorts, a skateboard thingy, so if they are sporty they will easily find a team that caters for their sport, but all very mainstream. Stafford Rugby club has youth teams, lots of footie, hockey, Stafford and Cannock running club, gymnastics, etc. There is also one of those board gamers places for games I don't understand, it's at Tranquility, role play games? My child never travelled to Brum for a cafe but its a bit of a boring provincial town in general and poorly run, so if you want more for the teenagers it might not be the right place for you guys? Given the whole country its deffo not a place I'd choose to relocate to but there are worse places...i guess

 

[littleme]

Hi there

We are looking at moving from London to Stafford after having our young children- we need more space and my partner is from there. His parents also there as well as a network of friends.

I’ve been and like it in terms of Cannock chase and the southern suburbs which all seem nice and leafy, lots of local shops etc and great schools. However I’m worried about what my children will do when they are teenagers- I visited the town centre which like many people have warned me, was utter rubbish. Would hate to think of my children hanging around the town or just the local coop!

I’d be interested to hear from parents who have or have had children grow up in Stafford- was it limiting when they reached teenage years ?

Is it common for teenagers in Stafford to travel independently to Birmingham for shopping and cafes ? I know that depends on the individual child and their maturity but just wondered if it’s a thing.

Many thanks

X

My daughter's 18 now, but yes, had to travel to Brum, Stoke or Manchester for entertainment/shopping/etc...not a lot here for teens at all....

I agree with @kyoto49, but those things are for younger teens, 12/13 years....I come from a large city where there was plenty for teens to do, and they could easily get to them without a parent/adult having to drive them to the activity. Stafford does not accommodate them at all. The bus service is terrible & not much that is fun is local.

In the end I hate to say it, but how your teen is brought up tells a lot on wether they think hanging round the local co-op, or actually doing constructive & entertaining things , volunteering, or hobbies is the right thing to do. There are plenty of sports groups (football/canoeing/ dance groups) available for those willing....

Stafford & Stone Canoe Club

50 Years of Canoe Slalom in Stone 1973 - 2023

www.staffordandstonecc.co.uk

Girlguiding Staffordshire covering 17 divisions across Staffordshire

Girlguiding Staffordshire provides a unique girl-only space, vital for personal and social development. Contact us today on 01889 270757

girlguidingstaffordshire.org.uk

4th Stafford Scout Group | Skills for Life

www.4thstaffordscouts.org.uk

Contact - Get In Touch with Us - Sea Cadets

www.sea-cadets.org

Stafford girls venture air cadets....no local website, but my daughter attended

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2097128306996158

Plenty of gymnastic, rugby, football, golf clubs for kids too.

Be prepared to drive them to the events, nothing is on our doorstep....so it won't be a case of them walking down the rd' to the nearest club/sport venue.

 

[littleme]

My daughter's 18 now, but yes, had to travel to Brum, Stoke or Manchester for entertainment/shopping/etc...not a lot here for teens at all....

I agree with @kyoto49, but those things are for younger teens, 12/13 years....I come from a large city where there was plenty for teens to do, and they could easily get to them without a parent/adult having to drive them to the activity. Stafford does not accommodate them at all. The bus service is terrible & not much that is fun is local.

In the end I hate to say it, but how your teen is brought up tells a lot on wether they think hanging round the local co-op, or actually doing constructive & entertaining things , volunteering, or hobbies is the right thing to do. There are plenty of sports groups (football/canoeing/ dance groups) available for those willing....

Stafford & Stone Canoe Club

50 Years of Canoe Slalom in Stone 1973 - 2023

www.staffordandstonecc.co.uk

Girlguiding Staffordshire covering 17 divisions across Staffordshire

Girlguiding Staffordshire provides a unique girl-only space, vital for personal and social development. Contact us today on 01889 270757

girlguidingstaffordshire.org.uk

4th Stafford Scout Group | Skills for Life

www.4thstaffordscouts.org.uk

Contact - Get In Touch with Us - Sea Cadets

www.sea-cadets.org

Stafford girls venture air cadets....no local website, but my daughter attended

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2097128306996158

Plenty of gymnastic, rugby, football, golf clubs for kids too.

Be prepared to drive them to the events, nothing is on our doorstep....so it won't be a case of them walking down the rd' to the nearest club/sport venue.

Just to add.... This is not a negative view of Stafford, I love living here, but when my kids were little (age 30, 29 & 18 now) it was saddening that they didn't have the opportunity that I did in a big city...Stafford is a lovely place to live, but be prepared for a lot of driving kids to stuff that they couldn't get to otherwise...

 

[Glam]

My daughter's 18 now, but yes, had to travel to Brum, Stoke or Manchester for entertainment/shopping/etc...not a lot here for teens at all....

Contact - Get In Touch with Us - Sea Cadets

www.sea-cadets.org

Stafford girls venture air cadets....no local website, but my daughter attended

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2097128306996158

Int that when she was in the SAS?

 

[littleme]

Int that when she was in the SAS?

Yes, the sas....seems a lifetime ago now ..

 

[EasMid]

Depending on which southern suburb* you choose be prepared to be their taxi service. Public transport is crap (at best) around Stafford & non existent in many areas after about 6 pm
* on reflection it’s the same virtually everywhere outside the town centre.

 

[staffordjas]

Depending on which southern suburb* you choose be prepared to be their taxi service. Public transport is crap (at best) around Stafford & non existent in many areas after about 6 pm
* on reflection it’s the same virtually everywhere outside the town centre.

That's what we found whilst living in Stafford until last year , a 2 & half mile walk into town and stagger back each way if we wanted a night out in town. (We lived on the south side, on Wildwood) . Very hard to get taxis ,, and even the Cannock bus didn't go up the Cannock road towards the end . (Found that out by jumping on after not being able to get a taxi , to find it was going off towards Penkridge way instead so had to get off and walk it)


I was born and lived in Stafford 66 years , but realise now that apart from Cannock Chase which we used to love walking and running over we hadn't got much for son to do here (He used to go to Beavers, Karate, football , Apex swimming club etc in his younger days , but as said above we had to be the taxi service of mum & dad ) .

 

[proactive]

Being the taxi service if mum and dad is par for the course wherever you live, no matter the quality of the bus service. Why would you want to take them to football/tennis whatever by bus then stand out in the rain watching them, when you can go by car, wait in the dry and listen to the radio/watch YouTube etc.

 

[staffordjas]

Being the taxi service if mum and dad is par for the course wherever you live, no matter the quality of the bus service. Why would you want to take them to football/tennis whatever by bus then stand out in the rain watching them, when you can go by car, wait in the dry and listen to the radio/watch YouTube etc.

We used to go by car and still stand out in the rain watching. The big golfing brollies we bought for those occassions are still coming in useful for my rainy walks to the gym now. The 5am get ups for saturday mornings Apex sessions in the old Riverside were a bit of a struggle though !

 

[Theresa Green]

Moving to a University town that has a high proportion of foreign students studying a wide range of subjects including the arts sciences and creative courses but not English punctuation will enhance the lives of anyone

Moving to an area with a Conservative Borough Council within an area with a Conservative County Council in a country with a Conservative Government will do nothing for the lives of anyone

Salamanca or Stafford

Toughie

 

[EasMid]

Being the taxi service if mum and dad is par for the course wherever you live, no matter the quality of the bus service. Why would you want to take them to football/tennis whatever by bus then stand out in the rain watching them, when you can go by car, wait in the dry and listen to the radio/watch YouTube etc.

I was thinking more about picking the 17/18 year olds up from the last train from Brum at 23-55 when the last bus home from town was 18-05
Don’t even mention the 8am starts to go & stand on a rugby touch line while it’s pissing down some 50 odd miles away.

 

[Withnail]

Salamanca or Stafford

Salamanca?

Stafford is a lovely place for Key Stage 1 and 2.

Beyond that things become sketchy - but don't they everywhere?

On what metrics would a 'teenagerhood' in London be 'better'?

Or 'worse' than 'here' or 'anywhere else'?

Kids move better than you do.

 

[kyoto49]

If I had to move when my family was younger then it would be to Liverpool or Manchester, lively northern cities with good public transport and decent house prices. Some sketchy areas but easy to avoid! Great countryside around them, good schools, loads to do. Stafford wouldn't even be in the conversation tbh.

 

[proactive]

If I had to move when my family was younger then it would be to Liverpool or Manchester, lively northern cities with good public transport and decent house prices. Some sketchy areas but easy to avoid! Great countryside around them, good schools, loads to do. Stafford wouldn't even be in the conversation tbh.

The problem with those sketchy areas is that though you may avoid them, the sketchiness can move out and cause trouble for everyone.

Stafford is at least peaceful and safe and I don't really recollect a time in my own youth or in p Jr's younger days when anyone was actually bored and there was nothing to do for young people.

 

[kyoto49]

The problem with those sketchy areas is that though you may avoid them, the sketchiness can move out and cause trouble for everyone.

Stafford is at least peaceful and safe and I don't really recollect a time in my own youth or in p Jr's younger days when anyone was actually bored and there was nothing to do for young people.

I guess. Daughter lives in Liverpool, has done for 7 years, Toxteth to be precise, towards Sefton Park, and has experienced all the massive wins of living in Liverpool without any of the lows from the sketchy places. Maybe she has just been lucky

Edit. Might add that she walks, cycles and buses to everything she attends no matter what time of the day it is and uses the bus at night which is very good and regular even late in the evening. She has made a very fulfilling life up there joining community and sports groups that just aren't available in Stafford. I know she has zero desire to return no matter how safe Stafford is!

 

[proactive]

Good for her.

Experiences of Liverpool may vary, however.

 

[Gramaisc]

All of this can be very subjective.

In my youth, I moved most years and generally lived in rather small, out-of-the way places. There is a correlation in my recollections whereby the smaller the place, the 'better' it was, in general. The worst, by far, was the Stafford-sized city of Lincoln, the only real 'urban' location up to that point - an oasis of dullness and torpor.

There was a noticeable tendency for the locals to think that their place was how it should be everywhere.

I was never much interested in organised activities, I only partook of the scouts in Cyprus, and sports were of no interest whatsoever.

My final two years of my teenageness were in Stafford and that was OK, largely due to the Poly still existing then.

Other people's requirements and aversions would be rather different, unless they are the same. There are things that I really loved doing as a child that would horrify a lot of the kids that I knew at the time (who lived in other locations), much less those of today. I remember my brother's rather "southern English" children coming to the place where I am now, a one-horse* town in the middle of nowhere, and asking if there was 'anywhere like Alton Towers nearby'?

If people have lived in one place all the time, then there can be a tendency to require a new place to be like that, and be judged for not being like that. Having said that, a change to pastures new can be a revelation of a different path.

You can make some predictions, but there is really only one way to be sure...


*To be fair, rather more than one horse is available.

 

[Mudgie]

The problem with those sketchy areas is that though you may avoid them, the sketchiness can move out and cause trouble for everyone.

Stafford is at least peaceful and safe and I don't really recollect a time in my own youth or in p Jr's younger days when anyone was actually bored and there was nothing to do for young people.

Yes, in our day we weren't bored because we'd make our own entertainment, most of it legal.