Local youth centre left homeless over plans for new base (From The Northern Echo)

Local youth centre left homeless over plans for new base

1:31pm Friday 5th February 2010 in

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YOUNGSTERS have been left homeless as a youth shelter awaits work to be completed on its new and controversial home.

Thirsk Clock youth venture is to move into an old empty building behind St James Green Methodist Church.

The move has attracted widespread criticism from locals of the area who fear the users of the youth club will cause trouble.

At present though the Clock has left its former Market Place premises, in Thirsk, it cannot move into its future base yet.

Work is being carried out on the site to make it capable of housing the Clock’s functions enjoyed by the many youths who use it.

Abigail Homer McGhie, manager of the Clock, said: “There are builders in there at the moment doing work to make it fit for our purpose.

“I’m not sure when we will be moving in and we’re awaiting a date for when the work is likely to be finished.

“We have left our Market Place premises and as a result of having no base we’re running some of the services but not others.

“We’re trying to carry on and we are doing things at several places like the youth services base at Thirsk School.”

The St James Green Residents' Association was set up by locals to fight the move and it has raised a petition which attracted several hundred names.

The group has also met with the Clock and the church to discuss the issues and its fears about the move.

Although it has repeatedly stressed that it is not against the work of the Clock just its proposed new location.

Now the residents’ group is looking to form a neighbourhood watch to monitor the situation locally.

A group spokesman said: “Residents of St James Green and surrounding areas, who wish to find out more about the neighbourhood watch scheme are invited to a meeting at 7.30pm on Friday, February 12, in the Lord Nelson.

“The residents plan to present a petition to the church whom they feel have ignored their concerns and gone ahead with the move regardless.

“A meeting will also be sought with the church, to discuss future plans.”

The group is seeking emergency out of hours contact numbers with members of the Clock staff and also possible CCTV coverage of the area.