Lack of adult helpers puts youth club at risk

The Bradford Road club has been forced to close its doors to teens and is under serious threat of never reopening.

For the past year Anne Cleverley, of Highlands Close, and John Papps, who lives in Hawthorn, have been running the centre single-handedly, but they feel they cannot go on without a proper team of at least three volunteers.

The pair are now pleading with parishioners to give up two and a half hours on Monday evenings to keep the club going.

"We have lurched from one closing down crisis to another but this one is the worst and I've given up on it," said Mrs Cleverley, who has been chairman of the club's committee for nine years. "So what I'm looking for is a complete new team.

"We've still got a healthy budget but what we haven't got is someone with the commitment to keep it going."

The club, which is housed in the Hastings Block at the old RAF Rudloe Manor site, was established ten years ago because there was nothing for 11 to 17-year-olds to do in Rudloe.

The police, local councils and the commanding officer at Rudloe Manor instigated plans for the youth club and it soon became instrumental in keeping youngsters out of trouble by providing them with a meeting place.

Now, with a growing concern on anti-social behaviour among young people, Mrs Cleveley is desperate to get the club back up and running.

She said a common feeling is people don't want to help teenagers because they are difficult, but then they complain when the youngsters are forced to hang around on the streets.

"It's a vicious circle," she said.

"I've always believed it was important to provide a facility for young people. When they are 18 they can go to the pub and socialise with their friends, but while they are young they need a place other than the streets they can call their own."

Mrs Cleverley explained the club came about following a combined effort between the local community and the RAF community.

"Gradually the people from the RAF got posted away and the input has reduced over the years. We are still using an RAF building but that's as far as it goes," she said.

"That's where our problems started. We've lost the input from the RAF and we look to the community to help but nobody wants to."

Mrs Cleverley said the number of young people who attend the club has dwindled over the past year because the opening has been so sporadic, but at its peak around 40 to 50 teenagers were using the centre.

Another problem the two-man team faces is finding a new spot to re-launch the youth club.

Mrs Cleverley explained that the building they are using at the moment could be sold off by the Ministry of Defence as part of a long-term plan to centralise the tri-services.

The intention is to put everything on one site at Basil Hill so Mrs Cleverley hopes the new-improved club will open at Rudloe Community Centre in September, where it is at the heart of the village.

"It's like banging your head against a brick wall to keep it going," she said.

"But there's no doubt in my mind that the need is there. They want a club, they want somewhere to go."

So the youth club can continue to run Mrs Cleverley needs at least three volunteers. She said no qualifications are needed, just enthusiasm.

And the larger the team, the less time each volunteer would have to give. A team of six would mean working just two evenings a month between 7pm and 9.30pm.

Mrs Cleverley said: "I'd hate to see it die completely. It's on its last legs as it is.

"If nobody comes forward it won't reopen, but with committed volunteers, there's a chance."

If you are willing to offer your time to keep the club going you can contact the clerk of Box Parish Council, Margaret Carey, on (01225) 742356.