A NEW youth club hoping to solve the problem of keeping youngsters off the streets in Penarth is set to be launched at Elfed Avenue United Church.

After the closure of The Crib youth club at PADSAC concerns were raised about the level of youth provision in the town.

Councillors had bemoaned the fall in the number of youth clubs in the area and called for more work to be done to provide activities for local youngsters in the evenings.

They said it was a “sad story” that a number of youth clubs had closed down over the last few years.

But the Vale council has announced there are plans to launch a new youth club at Elfed Avenue United Church, scheduled to open in the next few weeks, as well as another one at Penarth Library.

Rachel Kjellstadli, a community outreach worker at Elfed Avenue United Church, said the youth club would run in term time on Thursday evenings between 6pm and 9pm.

It would provide games consoles including PS3’s and Xbox’s, a pool table, football table, arts and crafts, cooking lessons, sporting activities outside in the summer, a tuck shop, and a range of other entertainment.

The youth club, which will be run by a qualified youth worked from PADSAC, will come as a welcome boost to Elfed Avenue United Church after the departure of the V-POD bus in November last year.

The bus had been scheduled to visit the church for six weeks but was so successful it ended up staying for more than a year.

The multi-media bus, which also came to the church on Thursday evenings, had helped reduce crime statistics for anti-social behaviour in the area, and was withdrawn so that it could target other areas.

Rachel, who has been at the church for nearly two years, said that the new youth club was looking forward to working with local youngsters.

“We are really excited to be able to launch this for the local community,” she said

“We want them to feel like here is somewhere they can come and belong.

“It’s great to be able to partner with the Vale to provide this.”

Following the concerns raised about the closure of youth clubs in the town Andrew Borsden, lead officer for youth and community learning at the Vale council, said youth provision in Penarth is being improved.

“There are currently three clubs currently running in the Vale, one on Byrd Crescent, one in Llandough, and one club for young people with special needs at the new Penarth Learning Community.

“But in addition there will also be a new club starting later this month at Elfed Avenue church, and talks are ongoing to introduce a regular club at Penarth Library, which already hosts a range of youth activities throughout the year.”