Earley Town Council expands youth clubs to include 8 year olds

Earley Town Council has expanded its youth provision to include children from the age of eight, with a new weekly session at Centrepoint Community Centre. It means the town now offers three youth club sessions a week, covering ages 8 through to 18.

The new session runs on Thursdays from 5pm to 6.30pm during term time and is open to young people aged 8 to 11. It is delivered by Berkshire Youth and joins two established sessions at the same venue: Thursdays from 7pm to 8.30pm for ages 11 to 13, delivered jointly by Berkshire Youth and Reading FC Community Trust, and Fridays from 6pm to 8pm for ages 13 and over, delivered by Reading FC Community Trust.

All three sessions run at Centrepoint Community Centre, near Asda. They offer a mix of activities designed to appeal to different interests, as well as a warm, safe place to sit and talk with friends.

Youth provision of this kind has become harder to sustain in many communities, making the increased provision in Earley especially welcome. Reaching children from the age of eight means young people can find a trusted space and familiar faces before the transition to secondary school.

Cllr David Hare, Liberal Democrat Leader of Earley Town Council, said:

"Young people in Earley have told us they want somewhere to go, and a place to belong. Offering Youth Clubs from the age of eight means they can find that earlier, and carry it with them as they grow up.

"We could not do any of this alone. Berkshire Youth and Reading FC Community Trust bring skills, experience and trusted relationships that would be very difficult for the Town Council to build alone, and we are very grateful for the partnership.

"I also want to thank our Town Clerk and our officers. A great deal of careful work goes on behind the scenes to make sessions like these happen."

Places for the 8 to 11 and 11 to 13 sessions can be booked through Jessica Kirby at Berkshire Youth. Full details of all three sessions, including how to sign up for the Friday session, are on the Earley Town Council website.