Youth club expansion backed by local authority

The Hub, where the youth club is based, is owned by Onchan Commissioners

Plans to help fund the expansion of a youth club in the east of the Isle of Man have been backed by the area's local authority.

Onchan Commissioners agreed to allocate about £25,000 from its reserves to redesign The Hub, which is used by Kenyon's Youth Cafe.

Changes to the facility, which is owned by the local authority, would allow the number of children in the space to increase from 30 to 55 at a time.

Commissioners' chairwoman Zara Lewin said youth club had a "big impact and should be supported by the community".

The board agreed that if quotes received were 20% or more above the initial budget the plan would go back to the local authority for reapproval.

Under the plans, an internal wall would be removed from a meeting room, a new corridor would be formed to expand the space available, and new fire doors built into the building.

'Good spaces'

Ms Lewin said it was important to be able to engage with young people and having youth workers to support them in times of crisis was "vital".

"I personally know of many people who have had their life changed by well-funded youth services and good spaces," she added.

Trustee of the club Martin Macfarlane said he had been working on plans to extend the club since November.

On Friday evenings, which was its busiest time, the organisation would see between 40 and 60 children using the facility, including the outdoor area, he said.

"We have got a lot of young people who are engaged and the facility has just not been big enough so we are really pleased that finally we have an outcome," he said.

But the allocation of the money was not unanimously supported by the board, with Kathryn Williams and Robin Turton voting against the proposal to fund the extension from local authority's reserves, which currently stand at £1m.