Exeter Youth Club's future hanging in the balance

The future of an Exeter Youth Club, held at The Grenville on Ringswell Avenue in the Barton Hill area of Exeter, is currently under threat following the announcement by Devon County Council that the Club would have to close from 14th December.

The closure is due to the transfer of the land from the County Council to the Royal Academy for Deaf Education, which is due to relocate there from its current Topsham Road site in September 2014. Since the news was announced, County Councillor Olwen Foggin and City Councillor Rosie Denham have been trying to find ways to help keep this facility open.  

The Youth Club is currently held three nights a week from 6.30pm to 9pm at a charge of only 50p per young person, and provides an essential centre for young people. 

County Councillor Olwen Foggin said; “I would like to see the Youth Club stay in the current building until at least the end of this academic year, so that we have more time to find an alternative venue. My fear is that if it is shut down it will never reopen, despite the best intentions of the Youth Service to find a new venue in the longer term. I have written to the Leader of Devon County Council, John Hart, to ask what provision will be made for the Youth Club when the existing buildings are knocked down, but we really need the support of the local community to persuade the County Council to commit to finding a new home for the Club.”

The County Council have informed Councillor Foggin that they are currently looking into the possibility of allowing the Youth Club to remain on site for the winter months, but first need to assess the feasibility of such a plan, taking into consideration the need to retain essential utilities for users of the Youth Club. 

A spokesman for the County Council said:

“The key issue is about when the site transfers to the new owner, and then whether the new owners are happy for the youth club to remain on their site until building work starts.

“We’re talking to the owners to see what can be done to enable the youth club to stay where they are for the time being.  We’re hoping that so long as we can satisfy their concerns such as security of the overall site, and payment of utilities to the youth club, then the new owners will allow them to stay for longer.”

If you would like to help the Grenville Youth Club either contact Councillor Foggin at olwen.foggin@devon.gov.uk or sign the petition here.