One last throw of the dice for MYCON. The decision by North Somerset Council to cancel the £22,065 grant, will mean that after more than forty years, the MYCON

One last throw of the dice for MYCON. The decision by North Somerset Council to cancel the £22,065 grant, will mean that after more than forty years, the MYCON youth club in Nailsea will close in July.The decision to cancel the grant has been referred to North Somerset's Children and Young People Scrutiny Panel on April 17, which I will be attending in the hope that I can persuade the present administration to change its mind.Over the years, thousands of young people have attended the youth club. My wife Sue was born in Nailsea and went to MYCON on the night it first opened. There are thousands of people in Nailsea who are horrified at the prospect of this much loved institution shutting its doors for good.One of the core principles of North Somerset Council is to provide and improve facilities for young people, so this decision by the present administration smacks of hypocrisy. Around 200 young people use MYCON weekly and the club provides numerous facilities and services. A boxing club and a street project to keep young people off the streets late at night are just two examples of the tremendous work carried out by the staff at the club, besides all the mainstream activities provided by MYCON.MYCON needs around £50,000 annually to operate, it will be impossible to replace the £22,065 from North Somerset Council.Nailsea Town Council already gives generously and historically they are the two organisations which principally fund MYCON. Without North Somerset Council on board as one of the main financial contributors it will be impossible to attract other organisations to fund MYCON. It will be a very sad day when MYCON closes its doors. Out of a £350million pound budget, £22,065 is a drop in the ocean and it is money well spent on exactly the kind of service North Somerset Council should be providing.Andy Cole - North Somerset councillor for Nailsea East