A REFORMED youth club will be celebrating the first anniversary of its reopening tonight (Thursday). A year ago Biggleswade Youth Club opened its doors again after being closed for almost two years when funding was withdrawn by Bedfordshire County Council

A REFORMED youth club will be celebrating the first anniversary of its reopening tonight (Thursday).

A year ago Biggleswade Youth Club opened its doors again after being closed for almost two years when funding was withdrawn by Bedfordshire County Council.

Tireless work behind the scenes by a group of adults and teenagers laid the foundations for the revival of the club in the grounds of Holmemead Middle School.

During the past year membership has grown to over 80 youngsters who now have the use of brand new equipment that was bought thanks to a donation of £3,700 from the Bedfordshire Police Authority.

At one stage the club had to close its doors again in January when the equipment, bought from a company in Bedford, failed to arrive on time.

The club then threatened possible legal action against the supplier when deadlines for the arrival of the equipment, most of which came from China, were not met.

It was not until mid-March that the club was re-opened for the second time by Biggleswade mayor Cllr Wendy Smith.

Now the club is not only celebrating a birthday it thought it would never see, but is launching a campaign to encourage more girls to join the club and will soon be publishing its own magazine.

"It has been a roller-coaster ride for the club but we have a lot to celebrate," said Ken Lynch, one of the men behind the club's revival and a campaigner for youth in the area.

"The town was without a club for a couple of years and it was something Biggleswade's youngsters desperately needed.

"The club has been a great success and we plan to make it better and stronger over the coming months. We want more girls to get involved and very soon we will be launching a club magazine which will be available in schools informing youngsters what a great youth club they have on their doorstep and what we do."

When the party finishes at the youth club tonight it will be closed for the school summer holidays and reopen again in September.