Oswestry youth centre funded by police
- Published
Work at a Shropshire youth cafe can continue after police decided to cover a 10-week shortfall in funding, the West Mercia force said.
Oswestry Youth Cafe (OYC) has been "spearheading the battle against under-age drinking and alcohol-related anti-social behaviour", it added.
The force said regular Saturday night sessions had been under threat.
But £1,880 was being contributed after a plea to the police authority for a community initiatives budget grant.
Current funding for the cafe, which supports vulnerable young people, was set to run out from mid November with no new financial backing available until early in the new year, police said.
PC Scott Smither, youth inclusion officer based at Shrewsbury, said the shortfall in funding was not as a result of poor financial planning, but due to expected funds not being made available at late notice.
He said the cafe was a partner in the Oswestry Community Alcohol Partnership and piloting a project aimed at reducing under-age drinking and associated problems in the area.
PC Smither added the OYC acted as a drop-in for young people up to the age of 19 and kept "youngsters safe".