Youth Club Comes to a Close

At a meeting of staff and management, we have had to make the very difficult decision to stop running the Youth Club going forward.

This decision has been taken due to ongoing behaviour that has gone far beyond what is acceptable within the Centre and the surrounding area.

Throughout the Youth Club, there have been several conversations with our young people, discussing expectations that were clearly set out, and the importance of appropriate behaviour towards others and the Centre. Despite this, recent sessions have involved extremely inappropriate language and behaviour directed towards the volunteers and other Centre users, significant damage and mess within the building, and rubbish being left across the wider site.

Our volunteers kindly give up their own time to help provide a safe, welcoming and enjoyable space for our local young people, and we really appreciate the time and commitment they give to the Youth Club. We want everyone who uses Kingswells Community Centre to feel comfortable, respected and able to enjoy the facilities. This includes our young people, their families, our volunteers and all other members of the community.

We recognise that many of our young people have attended the Youth Club respectfully and positively, and we greatly appreciate the support shown by parents and participants who have engaged so well with the sessions. It has been lovely to see so many of our young people building friendships, developing new skills and creating lasting memories together.

I would like to pay tribute to our volunteers, who have consistently given their time, energy and commitment to provide a safe, welcoming and enjoyable space for our local young people. Their dedication has been central to the running of the Youth Club, and their willingness to support the community week after week has been greatly valued by everyone involved.