WELLINGTON Youth Centre will continue to provide services for the town’s young people despite changes that the company responsible for employing its youth workers has announced.

Somerset Rural Youth Project (SRYP) had advised the centre’s management committee it is stopping its centre-based services across the county at the end of December. But the existing youth workers are keen to continue and alternative arrangements are being made to ensure a seamless transition is made.

Cllr Andrew Govier, who chairs the management committee, said: “It was a shock to hear that SRYP was going to pull out of delivering the service. We understand that it has been turned down for a couple of large grants and this has forced it to reconsider its priorities. It is a real shame that government and council cuts are undermining services for young people.”

Wellington Community Support Services took over the centre following Somerset County Council’s decision to stop youth provision just over four years ago. The group is made up of local councillors and interested members of the public, including representatives from the local Rotary Club.

The committee is also working with the county council to secure the building, so it can get funding to refurbish it. It has already split the building into two parts so that its can generate its own income to subsidise the youth work.

Cllr Govier added: “We are determined to ensure that we maintain this excellent facility for the young people of the town. Although it is a county council building the community of Wellington raised a considerable amount of funding towards the building and we feel it is essential that it remains available as a youth centre. We have a very strong youth work team at the centre and they are very keen to continue.”

The Conservative-controlled county council recently announced it was overspending by up to £24 million in this financial year and further savage cuts were likely to services in Wellington.

Despite this Cllr Govier said he remains upbeat about the centre’s future. “We have had to work really hard to keep the centre going when the county council wanted to close it,” he added.

“My colleagues and I have had to deal with a number of challenges but we know how important the work that the centre does for young people is. Ben, Charlotte and their colleagues really help young people to deal with the issues they face and they have exciting plans to deliver even more.”