Shock as St Nick’s Youth Club Closes

Local Focus Team members - not happy about
the situation, but trying to find a solution

Despite today's very good news there are still problems the community is working on at Abbotswood. With less than 2 days warning on the Friday before Christmas the SGYI charity running the youth club at St Nicholas Family Centre closed - after 45 years of service to our community. We owe a massive debt as a community to all those who have run it in that time.

We were devastated to get the news it was closing - and were only told the day before it closed its doors. Young people, and generations of young people before them have relied upon this facility.  People should not blame the charity - we know they did not take this decision lightly, and they found it a painful decision. The most important thing is to think about the young people and to focus on getting the place open again as soon as possible.

As soon as we were told, members of the Focus Team set about looking for another organisation who could get the doors open again and before Christmas had got Yate Town Council lined up to help. Because of all the legal issues it is going to take a while, but we really hope youth work can be restarted at Abbotswood with Council help.

The church have kindly agreed to provide the premises, and the Town Council has agreed to make money available.   We are looking for a new organisation who will re-open it as soon as possible and will be doing all we can to make that happen. If any readers can suggest organisations who could do so, please ask them to contact the Town Council quickly on 01454 866506. 

Meanwhile, we’ve asked for the Detached Youth Team and the Urbi bus to spend all their time at Abbotswood - so young people at least have someone to turn to there, whilst this is sorted out.   And of course young people are welcome at the Armadillo.

If you know of an organisation who might be willing to help, in the short or long term, please call Tony Davis or Paul Hulbert.