Six months of success for Bowburn's junior youthie (From The Advertiser Series)

Six months of success for Bowburn's junior youthie

10:59am Tuesday 15th January 2013 in News By Mark Tallentire, Reporter (Durham)

A YOUTH project is celebrating a successful first six months.

Bowburn Junior Youthie, in Bowburn, near Durham, was created in July last year for youngsters aged ten to 12 following the popularity of a similar group for older children.

It was given £3,000 by Durham County Council’s East Durham Rural Corridor Area Action Partnership (AAP) and has received support from the council’s youth service.

The DJ Evans Youth Club committee and members raised a further £700.

Activities staged in the first six months have included pupils at Elemore Hall special school taking part in team building exercises and working towards Duke of Edinburgh Awards.

Youth worker Joanne Eden said: “This is a fantastic project which young people living in the area told us they wanted.

“They used to gather outside of the original youth club asking to be allowed to join in but their age made it difficult so it’s fantastic to be able to offer a group especially for them and to see it become so fantastic is amazing.”

The Junior Youthie will run until this summer. Children involved are already looking for more funding to keep it going longer.