LETTER: Youth group needs your support

I became involved because I want young people to be able to have fun in safety. Also, local people tell me that they want more activities for young people in our area. Parents, grandparents and neighbours want the young people they know to grow into caring, independent adults. They know that Youth Clubs, Scouts, Guides, Cadets etc. provide opportunities for young people to extend their horizons safely. 4theYouth and other groups provide constructive activities for young people, allowing them to spread their wings in a warm and safe centre, with trusted adults around to support them. These groups invest time, energy and cash into the development of future citizens.

The Directors were delighted to learn this week that 4theYouth’s clubs at The Forest School and Holbrook Community Centre are providing positive, safe activities for almost 500 young people each week! (Membership details, and times of club meetings, are available on the 4theYouth website).

Hearing the news, one of our Directors said, “That’s five hundred young people every week safe, not on the streets, and not tempted to cause trouble. That’s something to be proud of.”

We are proud; very proud! We are also very grateful to our supporters, including The Forest School, the Holbrook Community Centre, Sussex Police, Saxon Weald, Horsham Matters, our Directors, staff and volunteers and many others who have helped us get as far as we have so far.

But we want to do more, to support more young people in other parts of the town. In order to do so, we need help. We need more Directors, people with an interest in the well-being of young people and a passion to support them. We are keen to recruit one or more people with expertise in fundraising.

We need money to provide training for current and future staff and volunteers, (on safeguarding, first aid, food hygiene) and to provide interesting and challenging activities for the young people we serve. In short, we need your help, whether it is a small donation (which can be sent to 4theYouth at the Forest School Youth Wing), or your offer of help in other ways.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Morwen Millson

Director, 4theYouth,

LDem County Councillor, Riverside Division, WSCC, County Hall, Chichester.