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WARKWORTH YOUTH CLUB

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Meetings are held in the

Warkworth Memorial Hall

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There is a tuck shop supplying drinks and snacks but if you do not wish to use this facility you are welcome to bring your own refreshments.

Changes and special events will be advertised in the window of
Warkworth Village Store and outside the Memorial Hall.

 

 

THIS IS HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Sharon Williams, who was a lecturer at Northumberland College, thought that it seemed a shame that the children who attended the Warkworth Cricket Club during the summer would not maintain their friendships throughout the winter when the cricket coaching finished in September. She sent a note to their parents expressing this view.


A meeting was arranged and three parents attended - Keith Puddephatt, Penny Wright and Maria Orange. A committee was formed - Sharon Chair, Keith Treasurer and Penny Secretary. They provisionally booked the parish rooms but then contacted Serena Coulter (bookings secretary for the Memorial Hall) who arranged for them to visit the hall with Peter Atkinson. They booked the hall provisionally for Friday nights.


Keith and Sharon met with Alan Hedley of the Community Council in September who told them to write a Constitution and Child Protection Policy, he also advised them on grants.


They did this, had it approved, and started thinking about funding - the Committee met with their children and other parents attended with their children, and the 9 children present were asked about the games and equipment they would like at a youth club. A bank account was opened at Barclays in Alnwick.

Sharon wrote to the Parish Council and they were awarded £50.00. Warkworth Cricket Club awarded them £80.00 to buy a CD player.

They had their paperwork in place and decided to open on 5th November 2004 with a 'Halloween' party - they thought it would give them an idea of interest. They used their own money to purchase sweets and drinks for the tuck shop. Sharon did posters for the party and distributed them around the village and put an article in the Pelican. The party was a great success, and 24 children attended.

The following week they took in their own board games, there were a few snooker tables, and parents donated a snooker table and two football tables. They continued to run every Friday when the hall was free but had to close early in December because of the Pantomime.

Sharon applied for a grant to Yvonne Durham of Alnwick District Council and received the promise of 50% of the funding. She advised her to go to the Strategic Partnership Scheme in Shilbottle for a 50% match - Sharon met with Ian Humphreys several times and finally completed the grant application in late November. He didn't have any money available until March at the time and it was very complex - suddenly he did, and he tasked them to raise £260 on 3rd December in order that they receive a 50% match, the panel were meeting on 9th December. They had to have the money by the following Wednesday. Sharon went around Warkworth on the Friday with a letter to all the businesses and on the following Tuesday had lifetime 'Founder Sponsors' and 'Friends' of Warkworth Youth Club plus donations and the £260 needed to apply for the full grant. The grant application form and evidence of funding were taken to Ian Humphreys on Wednesday 8 December for submission the next day. On December 14th Sharon collected the cheque from Mr Humphreys - the panel had approved their application.

They ordered some of the equipment in January and can now offer:

A table tennis table with wheelchair access, two snooker tables (large and small), a pool table, an air hockey table, a giant tower game, a ten pin bowling game, safe darts, football table, and there is always a craft table and a quiet table for chatting. The craft table has a theme when possible - Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, etc. Keith Puddephatt and Steve Williams coach the children at table tennis and pool. Ralph Firth taught chess throughout January and February and has kindly lent them 4 chess sets (he is returning in September). Penny and Bill Wright have donated a Playstation 1 to use on an old portable. There are also board games - Hangman, Geo-Mag, Connect 4, etc. There is a large board as the children enter the youth club, and they can book themselves a 15 minute session on each piece of the larger equipment.

Equipment still has to be purchased as the numbers are averaging 32 children. The drama club have kindly offered to buy them some equipment using proceeds from a raffle to be held in April. Special events i.e. a calligraphy session by Mike from Alnmouth, and nail art by Lynn Elliott, have been organised and were very successful.

Sharon has also sent off for the Red Nose Day pack for 11th March. There is to be a competition at Easter when the club is closed due to previous bookings, using hangers donated by Jackie Galilee of the Greenhouse.

On the last night, 22 April, a specialist from Pegswood, Elaine Porter, is going to make money boxes from air hardening clay. This unique session has been paid for by The Sun Hotel, who donated a piano, which has been sold to fund the evening.

The club caters for 8-13 year olds primarily - under 8's can attend accompanied by a parent for one hour 40 minutes only. There are currently 29 members as at 18 February 2005, an equal mix of both sexes. New children are looked after by Jonathan Williams, who shows them around and acts as a reference point on their first night. The children wrote the youth club rules, and know that they will get a 'yellow' card if they break them. There is a swear box at 10p a go (empty), and a suggestion box. Year 7 and upwards run the tuck shop.

Sharon was contacting members by email but the Committee has decided to revert to hard copy Newsletters and will be leaving them at the youth club for parents to pick up at the door.

Membership is £1.00 for the year, entrance £1.00 a week and the children can bring pocket money for the tuck shop. Everyone's name goes into a hat and they have a 'lucky tuck shop' raffle each week. They also have a 'birthday treat tuck shop' if anyone has a birthday.

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GENEROUS GIFTS
Founder Sponsors
Friends of Warkworth Youth Club
Donations
Bank of Nostalgia
Warkworth Garden Nursery
The Courtyard Café
Dilly Dilly
Greenhouse
Mr. Paul Jobson
Hermitage Inn
Warkworth Village Store
Parish Council
Roxboro House
Village Art
Warkworth Cricket Club
Sun Hotel
The Mason's Arms - plus a raffle prize of a lunch or dinner for two (new menu)
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