A GAP in activities on offer for Warwick youth is being blamed for driving our future leaders out of their hometown and into the major cities that beckon with opportunity.

Warwick headspace manager Travis Maguire said city kids had many more options when it came to finding things to do."Obviously we can't expect to have all that in a small town like Warwick, but we definitely need to be putting on a lot more targeted at the youth market, something to spark their creativity,” he said.

"We need our youth to be involved in the community, otherwise they end up moving away.

"If this age group is actively engaged then they're more likely to stay and make something of life in Warwick, which is a win-win for the community.”

Catching up with friends in Leslie Park, 15-year-old Ayden Davie said teenagers were stuck in the middle.

"We're not old enough for grown-up activities and we're too old to be playing on the swings,” he said.

"I can't go to the pool every day or play arcade games all day, I just can't afford that.

"So we end up staying at home and playing video games or watching movies or just hanging out in the park like this. There aren't many other options.”

Sixteen-year-old Sally Green said teenagers had to deal with many types of stress.

"Like school work and the pressures to fit in and be accepted,” she said.

"There's not a lot on offer for us to be able to relieve that pressure. It's why some kids probably turn to crime, or drugs and alcohol to create their own excitement.”

Gabrielle Thornton, 16, said a dedicated and cheap arcade for young people would be a great place to hang out.

"I used to love the Blue Light discos, but now we're too old, how about something like that for teens?” she said.

Have your say on the Daily News Facebook page.