A group of young men striving to resurrect a youth community centre in the West End have had their efforts endorsed by Premier Ewart Brown who attended the latest public meeting along with at least six Cabinet colleagues and four senators.

And Dr. Brown revealed to the audience in a church hall in Sandys last night that he has ordered an internationally successful youth empowerment programme be established in Bermuda during 2007.

At a well-attended meeting at the AME Church Allen Temple he heard from the people behind the idea of a new West End Youth Community Club and also listened to opinions of some of the Island's youth who showed up.

It was the initiative already shown by the committee behind seeking a youth club that attracted Dr. Brown to hear for himself what they had to say and assess if Government was in a position to assist, he said.

The idea of re-establishing a youth community club in the West End, after the last one closed in 1999, was something Government supports and providing the group does its share of the work to realise that goal Government would meet it halfway, pledged Dr. Brown.

He went on to point out that concrete is not the solution to social ills and poor education is not corrected by building "pretty schools", health problems are not cured by building new hospitals, and neither should it be assumed that the problems of youth would be righted by simply building a community club.

There needed to be more and feels the missing link may be an internationally successful programme known as Uncommon Results and headed by Mark Charlie which is to be brought to Bermuda in 2007 in a reprise of a brief visit by Mr. Charlie in the mid-1990s.

Explaining that earlier visit Dr. Brown said: "Some of my friends, Leroy "Nibs" Lewis, Rudolph Lawrence and "Bummy" Symonds and I have been working on this issue about young people for more than ten years. We were not the Government when they came and met me concerned about the direction of the Island's young men.

"We had a conversation in 1996 about how to go about this. What you see tonight — don't think it is unique for Bermuda. All over the planet where you see young people you see the same thing happening."

What the people behind the youth centre idea were after was someone to work with, he said. The West End Youth Community Club Committee has been set up to find a way of re-establishing a youth club in the parish that will give the young people of the area a constructive and positive outlet and lead them away from the temptation of crime and drugs.

Gerald Fubler, who ran the previous youth club from 1994 until its closure in 1999, has become a focal point and guiding light for the young men and women who make up the committee.

Mr. Fubler, committee chairman Makai Dickerson and co-chair Steven Burchall all addressed the meeting before the Premier announced his intention and offered to work with the group as it sought to create a new club.

"We can't be lazy about the way the young people are going. In 1996 I promised I would start looking for something that is already happening. I looked for a programme that demonstrated some success in personal transformation as far as young people are concerned and I looked across the US and I came up with a programme that at the time was called the Breakthrough Foundation," explained Dr. Brown.

"By the time I found the leader of that organisation he had already formed his own organisation that was called Uncommon Results. I went and found Mark Charlie and asked these gentlemen if they were serious about him and would they join with me and put up the money to bring him to Bermuda and we did."

The interest shown in that initiative at the time included political leaders of the day and impressed Government, Dr. Brown reported.

"Everybody could see what he was doing. At that time Uncommon Results was located in three cities in the US, today it is in eight countries. Why? Because it is one of the few programmes that has shown a track record of achievement in personal transformation of young people's lives," said the Premier.

"I do not believe there is any magical solution to this problem. But this particular programme over 10 years has demonstrated enough effectiveness that our Government has committed to bringing the programme to Bermuda in 2007."

Dr. Brown said he had tasked Social Rehabilitation Minister Dale Butler, who also attended the meeting, to bring the programme to the Island in the new year.

After the meeting, West End Youth Community Club Committee chairman Mr. Dickerson expressed delight with the turnout and the number of people who spoke, and added: "I'm encouraged by the Premier. I feel he's doing things and that he is going to help us. I believe that by working with him things will be achieved."

Brown reveals youth empowerment move