A community leader has issued a rallying call to protect youth services.

It comes in light of Kirklees Council’s plans for £10m of cuts to children’s services that puts all council-led youth activities at risk.

The team at Rawthorpe Community Centre has already experienced some losses – but they’ve fought back to form their own community-organised Youth Club.

But now they want the wider community to step in, saying to continue services for all ages at the Brown Royd Avenue centre the wider community needs to act now.

Sandra Tremaine, chairman of the centre’s management committee, said: “Our former Youth Club moved to the DRAM centre in Dalton about six months ago but we’ve run our own and every Monday we’re getting 20-25 young people come along – they don’t want to go to Dalton.

Rawthorpe Community Centre Chairman Sandra Tremaine and volunteers David Tremaine, Colin Ward, Zac Lochead, Paul Horsfield and Sandie Halliday
Rawthorpe Community Centre Chairman Sandra Tremaine and volunteers David Tremaine, Colin Ward, Zac Lochead, Paul Horsfield and Sandie Halliday

“The centre is still owned by the council but we’ve a management committee that is very passionate about saving it. We’ve got a good building that can be used for lots of things and we’re looking at how the centre can attract more groups and users and keep going.”

Mrs Tremaine said it wasn’t the first time in her 14 years as chairwoman that they’d faced cuts, but she added: “I feel positive about it, it’s not the first time we have worried about the building’s future.

“But I am passionate and for as long as I’m here I’ll do everything I can to keep it going for the sake of the community. The elderly and the children who need somewhere to go.”

She and the eight-strong committee have a good relationship with the three ward councillors, Clr Peter McBride, who is a trustee, and councillors Musarrat Khan and Naheed Mather.

Rawthorpe Community Centre
Rawthorpe Community Centre

The committee leases the building but they are looking at ways to take over the council-owned building. They are developing a business plan and hope to capitalise on the building’s location close to the town centre by offering it for private hire, saying the fees will help subsidise the activities and contribute towards the building’s upkeep.

The centre’s Youth Club runs every Monday from 6pm, led by Naomi Cooke, which is for children aged seven and up. There is also a Job Club, led by Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing, every Tuesday which Mrs Tremaine has said has helped “everyone who has attended find a job”, while Wednesdays see a Luncheon Club for the elderly.

The team are planning an open day later this month and Mrs Tremaine sums up saying: “We have this facility, we want to keep it and want the community to use it as much as possible.”