The Prince’s Trust — the organisation headed by Prince Charles to help young people — is being called on to help Wallingford youngsters by funding a town centre youth cafe where they can meet.

It is part of a major new push in the town to find out what young people want and how to bridge the gap between young and old.

The move, called Proximity, is headed by Imran Lokhon, 24, and Baptist church youth and community worker George Elerick, 30.

Mr Lokhon is a member of Wallingford Town and South Oxford-shire District councils and chairs a Neighbourhood Action Group.

He also wants to launch youth councils at both district and town council level and to encourage local young people to stand for the United Kingdom Youth Parliament.

A former student at Wallingford School, he has been asking present students what they want in Wallingford.

He said: “George and I have been talking to young people on the Kinecroft and in the town centre.

“We made the first foray on Friday evening and the feedback has been very good. We listen to what they want and we feel they are listening to us.

“Most young people just need to have somewhere to hang out together, which is why we want to ask the Prince’s Trust to help us establish a youth cafe.

“It is early days yet and we have not submitted a formal request at this stage, but I feel it would be a major asset to the town.

“At the school I’ve been able to talk to young people about why I am on the councils and what the councils do.

“I feel it is very important for young people to have a voice, a link with adult groups like councils and with other authorities.

“I want to show that young people like myself can make a difference.”

Both Mr Lokhon and Mr Elerick want to see a change of attitude between young people and old.

Mr Elerick said: “Older people feel intimidated by big groups of young people and younger people feel they are being ignored or despised by the older people.

“We must learn to listen to one another, learn to hold one another in higher esteem, and create a community where we all work together to meet the needs of our neighbourhoods.”

Both men plan to continue with their Proximity work, to have a meeting place regularly on Kinecroft, and to host a barbecue for young people before Christmas.

Mr Elerick said: “We want older people to realise that young people are not yobs and we want younger people to understand that older people need respect as much as young people do.”