The St Barnaba’s Church Youth Project has set up a new youth club at the Fencehouses Community Centre in Sunderland.
The project, which celebrated its 10-year anniversary in November, was set up in 2005 to provide five to 18 year olds with opportunities to try new activities and develop their skills through participation.
After a successful decade, the St Barnaba’s project has decided to start a new club called ‘Youth Group For Friday’ [YGFF], which is aimed at children between the ages of 10 and 12 and is run by a group of four volunteers.
It takes place on Friday evenings from 4.45pm until 6.15pm and after almost four months the scheme has been a huge success, with children taking part in a range of activities including computer games, crafts and sports.
St Barnaba’s youth community worker and volunteer, Mark Brown, said: “It’s just a safe place to come where they can come with their friends and have fun.
“We would like to expand the work we are doing, at the moment we are only open one night a week but we would like to expand to two nights a week and also look to run extra activities in the half term holidays like sports coaching and music project days.
“We are a church based project but about 70 per cent of the children don’t attend church and our aim is to reach out to children and give them opportunities.
“One thing they want us to do is set up a football team for them and that’s something we are going to look to do in the New Year”.
There are hopes to expand the scheme with the help of more volunteers, and there are even plans to run another group for older children in the New Year.
If anyone wants to know more about YCFF or wants to help volunteer they can contact the St Barnaba’s project by calling 07791902237 or visit their website www.bournmoorparish.org.uk.