Youth centre boost on the way

THE new year heralds a brand new start for young people in Ravensthorpe.

For early in 2011 a purpose-made youth centre is set to open, ending several years of piecemeal provision for kids.

The £200,000 scheme is being driven by Ravensthorpe Community Centre in a bid to round off services for local people.

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Centre manager Abdul Aslam said: “The young people seem keen to see the centre come into use. It will be their building and through it we hope to engage with young people and keep them off the streets.”

Mr Aslam said that when a previous youth centre was pulled down some years ago, young people were left with nowhere to go.

Then the current community centre in Garden Street came up for sale and was bought by people in the area through various funding sources.

“Youth sessions were arranged, but things like adult learning and child care took over and became our priority,” said Mr Aslam. “Activities for young people were squeezed.”

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Development worker Hashim Vali said: “All this has been putting pressure on youth work as we have had no available space. Anything we did was ad-hoc.

“This area has many problems and there had been a couple of high-profile incidents attracting bad publicity. We were under pressure to do something.”

The problem was solved when former offices across the road came up for sale and with help from Kirklees Council and other funds, the centre was able to buy them.

“It was dilapidated and there is a lot of refurbishment needed,” said Mr Vali.

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The centre now aims to lay on young people’s activities in the building. Already a boxing club wants to use it as a base, as do a couple of football clubs.

“We should be up and running early next year and this will complete what the centre offers to the community,” he said, adding that the centre could be used by other groups during the day.

Special efforts are being made to include girls in the project. “We don’t want girls to feel left out and hope to form a special group for them,” said Mr Aslam.

Any girls interested should call at the centre between 4pm and 6pm on Wednesdays.