As a father-of-two, Bermuda Democratic Alliance and St. George's South MP, Donte Hunt, finds his passion in ensuring programmes for the youth and civil solutions to neighbourhood problems. This week for Up Your Street, Robyn Skinner found Mr. Hunt scouting out buildings in Southside, St. David's, for a youth centre.

Donte Hunt knows a little bit about young people and trying to keep them busy. An energetic young man, he threw himself into track and now with two daughters, aged four and seven, he finds himself drawn even further into concern for youth programmes.

The BDA founding member believes one of the ways to keep young people out of harm's way and involved in positive futures would be the introduction of a large-scale youth centre and believes the perfect place for one of these would be in one of the many empty buildings in Southside.

He said: "We need more things for our young people to do. I know when I was growing up I ran track. The thing is, it gave me something to do after school. It gave me direction.

"I totally subscribe to youth programmes. We have a whole island of individuals who are interested in being part of the solution. The problem is they don't have the resources or the support. One of the things I have been calling for in the House in particular is for the funds for a state-of-the-art youth centre.

"I am talking about a purpose-built youth centre. Something with courts, something for football and badminton. Something similar to the YMCA."

Mr. Hunt also points to the problem of gangs on the Island and the increasing amount of young men being drawn into that lifestyle.

He believes that these youths, both boys and girls, are actually seeking a supportive family unit and failing that they turn to the next best thing a gang.

A YMCA -type centre could change that, according to Mr. Hunt, who believes a constant place for the young people to go after school or at weekends could substitute for the negative influences.

"What most of these young people are looking for is a family, a sense of being which is why they enter these destructive groups i.e. gangs. A youth centre is the perfect establishment. Not only are we providing something to do but we have counsellors, we have people who can help with homework and help with things going on at home."

The former United Bermuda Party MP pointed to the Bermuda Motorsports Park, in Southside, where families and youth meet every Sunday for productive fun. The park has caused some problems in the past with the noise, but Mr. Hunt said the racing is usually only for a short time on a Sunday and the MP said it would only require some sound-proofers to keep the noise inside.

He added: "I don't think Bermudians are aware of how great this thing is for us. The noise on the Sunday is the problem. There's a solution which is sound barriers. More than the noise, this provides entertainment and there's a lot of young people involved. This is a youth organisation we need."

The problem of noise is not confined to the motor sports park in Mr. Hunt's area, but was also a growing concern on Duck's Puddle Drive where constituents voiced concerns about the East End Asphalt Company.

According to Mr. Hunt, the residents grew tired of the gravel falling from trucks and the smell emanating from the site. Though the company could have ignored these concerns, Mr. Hunt said they have been prime examples of corporate responsibility.

He added: "If we have an industrial site next to a residential, I think there's going to be complaints. What's good, and an example of private companies doing what they should is East End Asphalt.

"They listened to the people of Duck's Puddle. They pave the road regularly and they actively clean it up. They have a process where the smell comes up so they do it during the day (when residents will be at work).

"The residents are happier now. I think it's a great example of what they should do, of corporate responsibility."

Another example of corporate responsibility? The work that HSBC Bermuda has completed on Cooper's Island Nature Reserve in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Sports, Department of Conservation Services, and the Department of Parks.

Mr Hunt added: "I would encourage people to come down here. It's beautiful. It's something we could do in other places on the Island. This is a perfect example of what we need to do to protect our land; to keep it pristine. HSBC has done a great job."