Youth centre in Southwell closes

A popular youth club has closed after failing to recruit new volunteers to help run it.

Southwell Youth Club is now desperately looking for a new volunteer management committee to re-open the club and take it forward.

The club’s chairman, Mr Peter Herniman, stepped down because of personal and work commitments.

Mr Herniman, a youth worker, said: “The team and I have worked incredibly hard over the last two years to deliver a service that allows young people to simply hang out, have fun and make the club their own.

“The popularity of the club has grown tremendously and the feedback from all has been great.

“I am sad to leave this project, however, it needs a new management team in order for it to continue.

“I would like to thank all our young members for their support over the last two years as well as all who have supported the club to date.

“I would like to reassure members I am doing everything I can to find some amazing people to manage and run the club.”

Mr Herniman and other volunteers took over the running of the centre in September 2014 when it was threatened with closure as part of Nottinghamshire County Council’s budget cuts.

Around 26 children attended sessions at the Core Young People’s Centre, King Street, taking part in activities and workshops.

New volunteers are needed to run those activities and help with administration.

'Youth clubs engage with young people'

Southwell’s county councillor, Mr Bruce Laughton, said: “I am sad to see the service, at this present point, no longer going ahead. It had a great importance to the town.

“We are doing our utmost to support the future of the group.

“Youth clubs engage with young people and can provide support if they need it.

Mr Laughton said the centre often had a waiting list of people wanting to join.

He said: “We were turning people away because we couldn’t accommodate all the children. If we took on large groups, we would have needed more volunteers.

“I want to thank Peter for his enormous efforts over the years.”

The club had five volunteers but Mr Laughton said eight to ten would be ideal.

Anyone interested in volunteering should email Mr Herniman on pete.thecore@outlook.com