PR1518/LV/MF
16 January 2012
Mid Sussex District Council is working alongside the Burgess Hill community to protect the future of a valuable children’s activity centre.
The Burgess Hill Boys Club, which is located at Fairfield Recreation Ground, offers local young people a place to spend time with their friends and to take part in a range of fun activities. The club is now looking for the support of the local community to help run activities for young people and to encourage the next generation of members to give the club a try.
The Burgess Hill Boys Club has something for everyone with the chance to try out arts and crafts, five-a-side football, netball and basketball pitches for sporty types, and a range of casual recreational activities including, watching TV, surfing the internet, pool and table tennis tables, and even the chance to learn how to DJ.
Contrary to its name, the Burgess Hill Boys Club is a mixed gender youth club, open to boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 20 and to reflect this, the club will shortly be changing its name to Burgess Hill Youth. The Boys Club currently runs separate sessions for younger and older children, with 8-12 year old and 13-20 year old age groups. The boys club building is also used for much more than just the youth club, with the hall being utilised by a mothers and toddlers group, the local army cadets, a child-minding group and is regularly let out for general community use.
“Burgess Hill Boys Club has been a valued community facility for more than 50 years and I hope we can continue to keep it running for many years to come,” said Councillor Mandy Thomas-Atkin, Chairman of Mid Sussex District Council and ward member for the Burgess Hill Victoria Ward. “There’s so much to do in running the club premises, including maintenance, health and safety, fundraising, management and supervising the youth sessions. The club could always do with an extra pair of hands, so anything local people can do to lend their support would be most welcome and may prevent a valuable local community facility being lost.”
In recent times, the Boys Club building has been the subject of a break in and a group of older children have caused a nuisance by climbing on the roof. Mid Sussex District Council has been working with the Boys Club and Sussex Police to improve the situation. The Council has provided anti-climb paint to discourage anyone from climbing on the roof of the hall and Sussex Police has increased patrols in the area. The Council has also provided extra lighting and cut back shrubs to make the boys club building more visible.
“For a time it felt like I was on my own, but now I feel part of a team with everybody working as a unit to make a success of the Boys Club,” said Youth Worker, Paul Myles. “It has been great how the Police and local Councillors have pulled together, lent their support and helped to protect this valuable community asset. I hope that local residents will lend their support too by casting a protective eye over the boys club building when they are out walking their dogs or using other facilities in the recreation ground.”
If you notice any suspicious activity around the Boys Club Hall, you can report it to the Neighbourhood Policing Team by calling telephone number 101. To volunteer your time and offer to help run activities for local young people, please contact Burgess Hill Boys Club Chairman, Tony Parris on 01444 243003.
ENDS
