Friday night youth nights secure backing

Saddleworth and Lees District Partnership meeting
A YOUTH service that’s been keeping Saddleworth and Lees youngsters off the streets has received much-needed financial backing.

Saddleworth and Lees District Partnership has pledged £2,300 from its budget to keep the area’s Friday night free activity sessions going.

The past 17 months have seen the Youth Only Zone at Saddleworth Sports Centre flourish from a handful of children to packed-out evenings. There were fears the free sessions aimed at 13 to 19-year-olds would fall victim to cutbacks.

Cllr Barbara Beeley, Partnership chair, said: “I went to the first one in January last year and there were only about a dozen children, but I thought let’s give it a chance and went back six weeks later and the youngsters were queuing out of the doors.”

This trend has continued at the initiative, which began after growing anti-social behaviour problems in the area.

The Partnership will be looking into providing a Junior Youth Club in the Saddleworth and Lees area aimed at eight to 12-year-olds.