Youth club extension hope

The organisation held its first meeting on Tuesday, with organisers saying the youth centre needs to be extended as it can no longer fit all of the children who attend the club.

It is also hoped it can provide more money to go towards equipment at the skate park, located in the village’s recreation ground.

The group consists of three adults and eight youngsters, and chairman Steve Bridges said it will start work on the projects immediately.

Councillor Bridges, who is also a member of Winscombe and Sandford Parish Council, said the amount of funding the council is looking to raise is likely to be �15-25,000.

He said: “This is quite important as both the club and skate park are very popular among the village’s youngsters.

“It’s a good community initiative which we’re trying to get going here and we’re hoping we can get sponsorship through cheques and attract funding from different grant bodies, of which there are a vast number.”

He said planning permission had previously been granted for an extension of the youth centre, which is out the back of the community centre in Sandford Road, but it had lapsed, and he will now look to resurrect this permission.

He will also be contacting companies to get price estimates for skate park equipment.

Fiona Maudling, a resident of The Lynch who is part of the new council, said: “There are 42 youngsters registered for the youth group now, which is great as it is obviously very popular, but they wouldn’t be able to fit in the youth centre at the same time.

“I know it’s important that we get some new equipment for the skate park too, as my own children are there continuously and it is very popular with youngsters in the village.

“I think these changes would benefit children in Winscombe and Sandford a lot. We don’t want them having to go anywhere else to use these things and it could be difficult for them to have to use the skate park in Cheddar, for example.”