MADAM, Since I wrote in praise of the responsible behaviour of young people in Ross, some people have asked me, 'What exactly is the Basement Youth Trust?'
The BYT is a Ross charity that runs drop-in sessions for young people aged 11 to 19. We run in the traditional style of a youth club; there are no fees, and all young people are welcome. Sessions take place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, and we're supported by Herefordshire Council, which allows us to use the Y Zone free of charge. Our average attendance is 25 to 30, although when we have MC/rap sessions we can have 45 young people socialising, enjoying and participating together.
Unfortunately, the BYT is running short of money. We have support locally from the Town Council, Lions, ABT and others, but some of our funders have been unable to support us this year, and others have stopped their donations altogether. Restructuring and cutbacks will mean that county council support for our work will cease too.
As things stand, youth work as we know it looks to end in Ross, and there will be nowhere for young people to meet in the evenings as they do now. This is not what the BYT wants to happen, but unless we can find some funding soon, this will be another charity finding it impossible to survive, and the young people of Ross will be the ones to suffer.
Sue Wilding, Coordinator Basement Youth Trust