Youth club 'devastated' for kids over closure

A youth club says it is "devastated" after a funding fallout meant it had to leave its building.

Kirkby Stephen Youth Centre (KSYC), based in the Evergreen Building in the Cumbrian town, ran its final session at the site last month saying delays meant it failed to secure enough grant money to bid to keep running there.

The Evergreen Community Trust, which looks after the building, said KSYC's tenancy had come to an end and it had undergone a "fair" process to pick a new provider.

Trust chair John Murray said: "I really do regret that people have got so upset and cross with each other", adding he expected youth provision to restart with a new operator by half-term.

KYSC operated out of the Evergreen Building four-nights-a-week for three years and had nearly 200 children registered, with up to 50 attending each night, it said.

Parent Christy Gomes Viera, 46, said the group had been part of her three children's routines.

"At times it was the only socialisation that they did outside of school," she said.

"It's had a really, really big impact especially on my youngest she still hasn't stopped crying since the last session."

KYSC chair Chrissie Hadfield said: "We are devastated that instead of being supported to protect something that was thriving, we have spent too much time fighting unnecessary battles just to try to save it."

Hadfield said she planned to change KYSC from a CIO charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) to a community interest company (CIC) over a lack of active trustees and to "bring more revenue towards the centre for the children".

A CIO is a registered charity whereas a CIC is a company that must prove its purpose is primarily one of community benefit rather than private profit.

In May, Hadfield formally notified The Evergreen Community Trust of KYSC's intention to take a break clause in its six year rental agreement in September and reapply to run youth services as a CIC.

However, she said delays to the re-tender process meant they lost out on £50,000 of expected grant funding over uncertainty about the organisation's future - and therefore withdrew its bid on 4 September.

She blamed a falling out with members of the Evergreen Community Trust and Kirkby Stephen Town Council for the delay.

Murray acknowledged there was a delay while a complaint about one of Evergreen's trustees was resolved. The complaint was not upheld.

"We felt that rather than press ahead when that was hanging over everybody, we needed to make sure that was properly resolved first," Murray said.

The Evergreen Trust originally intended to choose a provider by the end of July.

Murray, who is also a town and Westmorland and Furness councillor, said: "I think we've moved as quickly as we could in a more complicated situation than I thought it was at first."

Hadfield said: "Whatever those differences have been, the children should never have had to pay the price.

"Most of all, we are devastated for our children."

Evergreen Community Trust said it chose a new operator who would provide at least three sessions a week, but did not say who it was.

Meanwhile, KYSC said it was still running services outside the building, including youth trips and outreach, under JMCH Group CIC.

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