Petition to save youth centre amid concerns children will be susceptible to drugs gangs

COMMUNITY members have rallied behind efforts to keep a youth club in South Devon open with a petition securing more than 400 signatures.

- by BRADLEY GERRARD

The Rushbrook Youth Club in Totnes is under threat of permanent closure following claims of funding that supports it being directed elsewhere.

The council, however, said there had “not been any reduction of funding or delivery of youth services in Totnes’, and the Rushbrook service was being replaced with “more frequent sessions in partnership with an existing youth organisation’.

Dr Sally Murrall-Smith presented a petition to members at Devon County Council, pleading with them to maintain their support for the centre, which held its last youth club session this month, according to its Facebook page.

“The Rushbrook youth club has taken years to build up, and we have great relationships and rapport with the local children,” she said as part of her address to the full council meeting on April 24.

“We have fantastic facilities that cost thousands of pounds to accumulate, such as a music room, recording studio and pool table, and children can attend for just £1.”

Dr Murrall-Smith said the weekly session that had been held at Rushbrook on a Tuesday was one of the few nights her own son and his friends didn’t play computer games.