THIS spring has been a time of new beginnings at Wotton-under-Edge Youth Centre. The club building has undergone a revamp and a new leader-in-charge has started work at the centre. Gazette feature writer KIRSTY RAMSDEN met Kate Stone, leader-in-charge at the centre, to find out more.

SNOWBOARDING during the school summer holidays is just one of the activities on offer thanks to Wotton-under-Edge Youth Centre.

Watersports at South Cerney, arts and music workshops and a trip to Alton Towers also form part of the centre's three-week educational/activity programme for the summer holiday.

The centre re-opened this spring after closing in December for renovations. The reopening is being heralded as a new beginning for the centre with every body welcome to join in the fun.

Wotton Youth Centre opens three evenings a week. Its senior sessions cater for13 to 21-year-olds and its junior for 11 to 13-year-olds.

The centre is funded by Gloucestershire County Council. However Wotton Town Council pays for the weekly junior session.

Kate Stone started work at the centre as leader-in-charge shortly before it reopened on March 31.

She explained her role was to implement the centre's unit plan and ensure the young people had access to all the opportunities provided by the youth team.

She looks after the centre building and its day to day running. "I also make sure what ever we have decided to run gets implemented and organised," she added.

At present organising the "summer break out" programme is a main project. She said: "The programme aims to give the young people new experiences out of Wotton."

Renovations to the centre included making the building wheelchair accessible. The downstairs of the centre was carpeted and a sofa area created.

The outside was concreted and fenced to provide a space for sporting and other outdoor activities.

A coffee bar was installed which now serves hot and cold snacks and drinks. Ms Stone explained the aim was to have the coffee bar run by the young people themselves.

The youngsters involved would take a food handling qualification, said Ms Stone.

She added the responsibility would give them a sense of ownership as well as experience in subjects such as numeracy and catering, and a qualification.

The centre has a DVD player, PlayStation 2, giant games such as Jenga and Connect 4. There is a much-used pool table and a disco area upstairs. The centre also has a computer with internet access.

The youth club attracts on average 30 young people a night out of a 50 to 60 regulars who attend.

The first session is free with further sessions 30p for members.

Ms Stone hopes the new beginnings and new look of the centre will encourage new members and the return of old members.

She would also like to see the community at large become involved with the centre.

With this in mind she has been speaking to town businesses asking for their help to run workshops for the "summer break out".

She has invited hairdressers in the town to run workshops as some of the youngsters who attend the club are interested in careers in hair and beauty.

She said: "It would be nice to have the community involved, giving them a sense of ownership."

To give the youngsters more involvement and a sense of ownership, the centre has a "have a say" board where they can pin suggestions.

One request placed on the board was for PlayStation dance mats. Eventually funding was found the purchase the mats and they have now become a popular activity at the centre.

The centre has a number of notice boards which give information on issues such as health as well as being a way to keep the young people involved.

Evening sessions can involve activities such as a two on two basketball tournement.

However, explained Ms Stone, a lot of the users want to come "for their own space and to relax".

She added: "There are adults there who aren't parents or teachers and can provide support or advice they require.

"The centre gives the opportunity to talk to adults and peers." A toddler group uses the centre during the day.

Ms Stone said in the past there had been a reluctance to allow the centre to be used by other organisations because of its standard of decoration.

However, she added, improvements to the decorations mean this may be a possibility for when the centre is not being used by the young people.

Pictured: Working on a playstation dance routine are Caryn Robert, 14, and Kathleen Hanbury, 14 GSR524H03