We’ve all been through those tough years of no longer feeling like children yet not yet being adults, and really not knowing where we fit in the community.

It’s also a time of self-discovery and experimentation – and not always in a good way.

Alcohol and drugs are far more prevalent in teen social circles than any of us would care believe or admit, but finding the right formula to turn kids away from their evils has long proved difficult for adults.

And so we can only wish Bathurst PCYC general manager David Hitchick all the best as he attempts just that through a new youth group starting at the club.

Mr Hitchick wants to provide a safe place for teens to hang out, keeping them off the streets and out of trouble.

He has high hopes for the program and plenty of ways to keep teens occupied and entertained.

Importantly, he also wants to provide food and drinks – because the way to any teen’s heart is through their stomach.

But will the kids come? That’s the $64,000 question.

The PCYC is not the first club to try a program such as this and nor will it be the last.

It’s all but impossible, though, to work out just what it is that makes some programs attractive to teens and others abhorrent.

And most difficult of all is finding a way to engage those troubled kids who need a service like this the most.

But we should be thankful that those hurdles do not deter people from trying, because a 

successful youth program will benefit the wider community as much as it benefits those kids who turn up each week.

Because opening the doors to the PCYC on a Friday night might not guarantee the teens will come, but closing them will ensure they don’t.