VOLUNTEERS are needed to help the Holsworthy Youth Club continue to provide activities for local children and teenagers.

The youth club provides a safe place for local young people in Holsworthy to come together and learn vital skills. The volunteers help facilitate a range of activities from music lessons to cookery, arts and crafts to exciting trips out.

Volunteer Jenny Ahearne said: “We need to recruit some more volunteers to help run the youth club every Tuesday from 3.15pm to 7pm in term time and holidays. We already have a few volunteers but we have doubled in population as all the year sixes are coming up to ‘big school’ now and several have joined the club.”

The club offers children aged 11 to 16 many new opportunities.

Jenny said: “We offer hot meals in the evening, which can relieve some of the pressure on parents and carers. We are very keen to have the children involved in everything we do so they can learn responsibility.

“They help to cook the hot meals in the kitchen, with supervision from a volunteer, they use their own initiative when organising their own projects and they also help out with group projects such as the creation of our carnival float and arranging our Christmas party.”

Other benefits of the club are the ‘welcome break for parents’ along with the peace of mind that their children are being looked after in a safe environment. The activities the children are able to undertake as part of the club help to build confidence and aids in their learning of vital life skills such as responsibility and leadership.

It is also a great way for younger children to become integrated with older college pupils ahead of their transition to ‘big school’.

“The younger children in Year 6 about to move up to college also have the opportunity to mix with some of the older members of the club so their transition to ‘big school’ isn’t as daunting, as there will be some friendly faces around.”

Currently the youth club has enough volunteers to get through the basics but in order to expand the range of activities it can provide the team need ‘more hands on deck’.

The club recently lost a few of its volunteers, who have moved on to other things.

Jenny said: “The lady who ran the kitchen recently left us, which has changed the whole dynamic of things. She knew every child and their individual needs, for example who liked what food. The gardening club lead has also said he is thinking about leaving soon and I have had to take on the Facebook page because we are low on volunteers.

“Everyone at the club brings something different and their skills are a valuable asset, but we need more people to come and help out to expand the youth club and its services.”

Jenny said she and the other volunteers are working hard to ensure the youth club is still available for children in the Holsworthy area. She said: “Holsworthy doesn’t have a lot for 11 to 16-year-olds to do.

“Unfortunately, the youth club did have to close a few years ago and I am desperately trying to prevent this happening again. We are hoping we will be able to expand the club to have Saturday sessions as well, but we can’t do that without more people. It is quite rewarding being a volunteer — we have a great bunch of kids and they are always so grateful for everything we do.”

Jenny added that volunteers would not be committed to attend every week, but any and all help that can be provided will be appreciated.

The youth club is free for children to join, with a £2 charge for a hot meal.

All volunteers will need to be DBS checked. For more information or to volunteer call the youth club on 01409 253283 or pop in on a Tuesday between 3.15pm and 7pm.