By Philip Welch

Praise is flowing for the new Wells Youth Club which opened in October.

An external consultant visited the club run by the YMCA at the Connect Centre in November and here are bullet points from his report:

·      All the young people I spoke to were extremely grateful for the Youth Club and really enjoyed it.

·      Staff all demonstrated high level of commitment to the group. Lots of enthusiasm from volunteer and paid staff.

·      Very good ratio of staff to young people.

·      The space that the club operates in is excellent and well used with purposeful activities that are both quiet and active.

·      I noted many good conversations between staff and young people and was particularly impressed with the level of encouragement offered to young people. Staff work really well together. 

·      Good balance of structured and unstructured activity.

·      Craft and creativity and cooking well used and of good variety. 

·      Well organised group games for all with young people involved in leading the games. 

·      It was a five-star session. Well done to all.

One of the volunteers there is Siobhan Goodwin who said later:

"It is so important that our young people have a place where they can spend time, get involved, try new things, have fun and meet new people in an informal setting. 

"For £1 per week, young people can choose to simply play pool or muck about with their mates but they can also tackle some difficult issues like relationships, mental health, social media, and becoming a young adult, with trained youth workers. 

"The YMCA have a very good reputation and I am proud to be part of the team, doing my bit."

For more information on the club, which opens on Monday evenings in term time, email Abigail on [email protected]