A POPULAR youth club in Nailsea could close if it cannot find extra funding.

A POPULAR youth club in Nailsea could close if it cannot find extra funding.

The Methodist Youth Club of Nailsea (MYCON) in Silver Street was set up nearly 50 years ago and runs activities for youngsters five days a week.

The service receives grants from Nailsea Town Council and North Somerset Council and for the past three years it was given £15,000 cash from the Tudor Trust.

However, the three-year grant from the trust has now run out and the management committee is desperately looking for extra cash to keep the centre running.

Clevedon town councillor, Liz Frappell, who is on the management committee of the MYCON, said: "Nailsea Town Council has given us the normal amount and North Somerset Council also provides us with funding, but we are waiting to hear if it will again this year.

"At the moment we don't know what's going to happen. We have a meeting in three weeks to discuss it.

"We are looking at all sorts of ways to get extra funding and we need to know what North Somerset Council is going to do, because it is strapped for cash at the moment.

"We could close if we don't get the money, but most of us in the town and district council would be very unhappy about that.

"It's vital to the community and a very important part of the town's youth facilities."

The youth club is open on week days and also runs a street project in the evenings where youth leaders go out and befriend youngsters hanging around in the town.

Staff also work closely with Nailsea School and offer counselling services and drop-in sessions during lunch times.

Jeremy Blatchford, North Somerset Council's executive member for Children and Young People's Services, said: "We are currently examining the youth provision in Nailsea.

"There's no question at all about closing Youth House, but we are reviewing other services being provided and the Executive will be making a decision in due course.