A YOUTH club that reopened just 18 months ago has been drawing attention for the positive impact it's having on the community. 

Cuddington and Sandiway Youth Club was founded in 1969 by residents, but was forced to close its doors in 2016 due to a persistant shortage of volunteers.

The club reopened in September 2021 thanks to the hard work of local people, at first on a fortnightly basis, but now sessions run every Friday and are well attended by 11 to 17-year-olds from the two villages.

A recent grant from the Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner to help them attract the more hard-to-reach teenagers means they've even been able to take on two paid youth workers on a part-time basis.

Stephen Chivers, a Cuddington resident who has gone above and beyond to make the project a success, says the only thing stopping them having an even greater impact now is a shortage of volunteers.  

Stephen said: “I really do think we’re having an impact in lots of different ways.

“We had six of the lads in the Rotary Swimathon last weekend, and they did 125 lengths between them.  

“It was really lovely, not only because they raised money for the youth club and the Rotary charities, but the sense of achievement for them. They got a lot of self-confidence out of it.

“Things like that really keep me going.

“We’ve also had one or two youngsters who are exploring their gender identities, and they’ve come along and fitted in really well.

“That also gave me a real buzz, because that’s someone who wants to show, outside of school, how they actually feel. It was pretty well accepted that that’s what they wanted to do.

“I got a lovely email back from their mum saying how much they enjoyed it, and how it gave them confidence."

Stephen had no previous experience of youth work, and when he took on the role, his intention was just to help the club get up and running.

He now finds himself there most Fridays, and even when he isn’t there, he spends a lot of time co-ordinating what few volunteers the club still has.

He added: “Over the last 18 months, my job has been getting as many volunteers as we can to help out.

“We always need more help, especially now we’re running every Friday. That’s the one thing holding us back.

“It’s doesn’t even have to be every week. If people can only make it once or twice a month, that would be wonderful.”

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Stephen via email  at: stevechivers@outlook.com.