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New Leighton youth club is starting soon
More help and funding is needed
A NEW youth club is to open in Leighton.
Mums Toni Smith and Julie Wilkes along with teachers Keiran Dell and Phil Chaffey, from Leedon Lower School, are launching the club at Pages Park Pavilion in January. They want to give youngsters a constructive way of spending their time.
Toni, Keiran, Phil, and Julie plan to set up the club for young people aged eight to 14. Activities in the pipeline include arts and crafts, football, basket ball, tennis, croquet, table tennis, and a few basic survival skills such as cooking.
Leighton-Linslade Town Council and police constable Ali Litchfield have pledged their support to the scheme.
The town council has given the use of the pavilion to the organisers rent free for the first six months while the scheme gets off the ground. Grant applications are in progress to fund the rest of the programme.
The scheme was born after a visit to Leedon Lower in Highfield Road by author Lucinda Neall, who wrote a book called Bringing the Best Out in Boys.
Mum of Four Toni, from Billington Park, decided to make the youth club her "baby" project. She said: "I think kids deserve to have a club like this. They need a better start in life rather than hanging around on street corners being labelled as hoodies and thugs."
Children at Leedon helped to pilot the scheme by drawing posters of what they would like to see at the youth club. Six-year-old Jade Szuca won the poster competition. Other good designs came from Billy Wilkes, Jordan Garner, Julian Gallie, Jack Kilduff, and Toni's children Thomas and Lewis.
The club will be open to all children in Leighton, but priority will be given to those living in Richmond Road, Billington Park and the new Sandhills estate where there is so little for youngsters.
Special needs children will also be welcome.
Keiran Dell said: "It's about building a community, being part of it, and keeping the children in it safe."
The organisers are looking for volunteers to help out at the sessions, scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday evenings. Donations from companies or organisations in the town with an interest in the youth of today would be much appreciated to help get the club running. If you can help, contact Toni on 07908 173073.
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Weather for Leighton Buzzard
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -1 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -1 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North west
