Youth Clubs
From Lacey Green History
click Organisations for Children
The first youth groups were organised by the Chapels and the church
The first known village youth group was organised by Wyndham Bradley. click Youth Club 1955 for more and click Wyndham & Diane Bradley for more about Wyndham.
From the mid-1960s two youth groups were run by Vera Griffiths and Peter Barnard. For more about these click Wilf & 'Rene Sanders, Vic & Vera Griffiths and Peter & Elizabeth Barnard.
Youth Club 1988 run by Tony & Pat Smart
In 2009 Joan Smith (click George & Joan Smith) was mentioned in the Village Hall report as follows - While on the subject of the Youth Club, my congratulations go to Joan Smith who recently received a community excellence award, I know Joan and her team have put in lots of hard work and deserve the recognition - Well done!
Hallmark February 2015. Youth Club reporting Leigh Axe (click Leigh & Yvonne Axe for more about Leigh).
On January 16th there were 60 youngsters at Youth Club, which has been going now since 2009. They are surprisingly well behaved and polite; and generally just charge around making their own fun or use the equipment we provide; or engage in kitchen or other artistic activities. Equipment has to be got out, carefully erected and subsequently put away again with usually a clean-up.
We started with fourteen adult leaders and are now down to six. This may sound adequate but there are activities in the kitchen, and meeting room, and gatherings in the entrance hall as well as the main hall; in warmer weather they also use the car park and we also run a tuck- shop. If something happens that requires investigation and or first aid, fortunately rare, then those leaders can’t keep watch.
Watching is essential as I’m sure you know. Youngsters don’t see danger or potential for harm and they can get up to mischief ranging from raiding the others’ toilets to bullying, again rare.
Full credit to parents who have done a very good basic job as I have yet to have one youngster answer back or be rude although I sometimes have to be firm to motivate them.
Leaders are sometimes absent, so a pool of people is necessary which we don’t have. Some parents (thank you) do volunteer, and if they all took a turn they would only have to do it once in a year and increase our numbers by at least two. Better though if we have people who become leaders because there is quite an admin job in arranging parents.
Youth Club is fortnightly 7.30 – 9 (7.10- 9.20 for leaders) and every other week does take the pressure off leaders. Not sure - just turn up and give it a try. Or contact Jenny Stothard or myself via the website http://www. laceygreen.com/Sections/index.php#youth