Locks, Stocks and Short Sharp Shocks
On 5th September at Bryngarw Country Park, Bridgend Youth Offending Service (YOS) took the public for a journey back in history with their Family Fun & Information Day entitled “Locks, Stocks and Short Sharp Shocks” – A look at Crime and Punishment through the ages.
The primary aims of the day were to allow the public to take a look at how young offenders were treated historically and the wide range of punishments they could be exposed to, as well as allowing people to remember youth culture over previous years and make links between cultures of yesterday compared to today.
The questions were posed…are young people today any different from many years ago? Or is it our responses to them that have changed?
The day was well supported by many agencies across Bridgend County Borough. These included Safer Bridgend, Safeguarding and Family Support Teams, the Children and Young People’s Partnership, Parc Prison, Careers Wales, Youthworks, BCBC Youth Service, Communities First, Creation Development Trust, Bridgend Street Pastors, BAVO, Wallich, and WGCADA.
As well as an abundance of information – both historical and current, from all agencies, there were many fun elements to the day. Many of the staff and young people involved were in fancy dress depicting youth and gang culture throughout history and several pirates, punks, hippies and ‘hoodies’ could be seen around the Park. The Face Painting stall was a popular choice for both adults and children alike as well as the Climbing Wall provided by ‘This Way Up’ from Aberdare. The Fire Service put on an impressive ‘rescue’ from a staged car crash to show the consequences of dangerous driving, and food was provided via a BBQ and Candy Floss Stall.
Many parents and children had a good soaking in the stocks, which were made by the young people of Bridgend, and there were various games, with equipment provided by the FAW, that people could participate in, as well as a raffle.
The whole day was set to a variety of musical interludes from bands formed by young people of Bridgend – there was also a showcase of several youth dancing troupes from across the county.
Overall the day was a resounding success and raised over £800 to be divided between three charities – Y Bont, Ty Hafan and Victim Support (specifically for victims in Bridgend)
Click Here to view more photos from the Crime and Punishment day