Future of youth club in balance

THE future of a popular youth club remains in the balance because of a lack of adult volunteers.

Biggleswade Youth Club has been open for over a year and its chairman this week made an appeal through The Comet for adults to help run the club on Thursday nights.

The club meets at Mead End in the grounds of Holmemead Middle School and is for nine to 13-year-olds. Last year the club took delivery of £5,000 worth of play equipment thanks to an injection of cash from the Bedfordshire Police Authority.

But during the past few weeks the club has come close to being unable to open because not enough adult helpers have been available through work commitments or illness.

Next month the club, which regularly attracts between 50 and 60 youngsters, is planning to start its own newsletter that will be distributed among young people at schools in the town.

"We are desperate for help," said club chairman Ken Lynch.

"During half term next week the club will be closed but when we reopen again we want enough volunteers to come forward to help us.

"The club is so popular that we need more help and it is for just one-and-a-half hours a week.

"We cannot survive if we don't have enough adults to oversee the club on a Thursday night.

"During the past few weeks a number of parents have come to our help but we need to put something more positive in place so we don't have problems when the club reopens after half term.

"If we don't get enough volunteers we may have to take the drastic step of having to close which would be a great shame because the club has become so successful and popular among young children in Biggleswade."

If anyone is interested in helping the club they should contact Mr Lynch on 01767 681739. All volunteers must pass criminal records checks, says the club, before they are allowed to work with the children.