Cash will go a long way to get Bristol youth group up and running

A youth group could soon be up and running in Henleaze after the team behind it was given £4,000 from the council.

For more than a year Liz Radford has been trying to set up a group to give youngsters in the area something to do with their free time.

Now, with the £4,000 grant from Bristol City Council's neighbourhood partnerships scheme, it could be open and ready to go by the summer.

With the help of the Rev Mark Pilgrim, vicar of St Peter's Church in Henleaze, Mrs Radford, a part-time book keeper and mother of three, has secured rooms in the North View Methodist Church for the group.

Now, much of the money raised will go towards re-decorating and kitting out the new venue, which will hopefully be open by summer next year.

Mrs Radford, 40, said: "We are delighted with the grant from neighbourhood partnerships, and it will really help get plans for the youth group running quickly.

"We were also very kindly given £500 through police at Southmead police station, and since June the youngsters themselves have raised about £330 through things like face painting, football competitions and running nail bars at local community events.

"We are very excited about the project, and can't wait to get into the venue and start creating a new centre for young people in the area."

When it opens, the youth group will cater for youngsters between the ages of 11 and 17 from Henleaze, Stoke Bishop and Westbury-on-Trym.

Disabled youngsters and those with special needs will be welcome, and another council grant will help pay for them to join in activities.

While work to get the venue ready is being carried out, each Saturday some of the older teenagers have been going to taster sessions at the David Lloyd gym and centre on Greystoke Avenue.

Mrs Radford, from Park Grove in Henleaze, said: "Now we need to raise about £1,000 to hire a mini bus to keep them going there on Saturdays while the work at North View is carried out, and we have asked the Henleaze Society to see if they can help.

"We still need to raise more money to keep the sessions at David Lloyd going and to help refurbish North View."

Mrs Radford had the idea for the group after seeing youngsters hanging around on the streets in Henleaze with nothing to do.

She said: "We have had some problems recently, with a play park being set on fire and youngsters making residents a little concerned by their behaviour.

"They are just bored and have nothing else to do, as there isn't any provision at all for 11-17 year olds in our area.

"We want to get the whole community involved so anyone can go along and feel part of it. A lot of youngsters find that in the week they are busy with homework and their stressful lives, but at the weekend there is nothing to do.

"They want something fun and sporty and somewhere to chill out and catch up with their friends."

The next taster session will be on November 27, at Great Brockeridge Westbury-on-Trym, for 11-17 year-olds.

For more information about the group, or to help the youth group, email liz.radford@blueyonder.co.uk or Tracy Tainton on tracy_tainton@yahoo.co.uk or call Tracy on 0117 9856640.