The North Leigh Youth Project (NLYP) provides a safe space for youngsters in the rural village of North Leigh and surrounding areas to meet, hang out and have fun, when few other options exist.
The project was started over 20 years ago and we were lucky enough to be able to build a bespoke youth centre when the village hall was redeveloped. Over the years dozens and dozens of youngsters (including my own children) have attended the evening sessions and events run by our youth workers. The youngsters love it and are passionate that the centre continues and thrives - the more elderly youngsters even help out with the sessions for the younger ones.
The project is run by a small dedicated committee of local residents, who work hard to keep it going. However, as with all such projects, raising enough money to pay the costs is a constant challenge and we are always living on the edge financially. Rent and costs for the centre itself, and the salaries of the youth workers all need covering so a lot of time is spent fundraising in one shape or another. So often funding is available for new projects but not to help exisitng projects survive and thrive. Our aim is to get regular reliable funding that will enable us to plan ahead and help improve and build the project - attract more kids, run more sessions, undertake more trips and planned activities and so on.