Snooker’s grand old man, Steve Davis, recently visited Whalley to launch a free snooker coaching program together with snooker coach and leader of the Paul Hunter Foundation, Chris Lovell. Aside from the obvious snooker training, the purpose of the program is to get young people off the streets. The idea came from a charity snooker event arranged by the North Lancs Training Group and became reality thanks to the Paul Hunter Foundation and the Lancashire Country Council’s Young Peoples Service that funds the program. Around 100 young people come to Lovell’s Snooker Youth Club two times a week and statistics show that the crime rate has already been reduced in the area since the start of the club. This is where the new program is to be launched but a new, long-term venue has yet to be decided on.

It’s no surprise that this kind of program helps youngsters to stay out of trouble. It’s only natural that snooker, a game that requires deliberation, focus and composure will take young people’s minds off bad things. Snooker soothes the savage beast.