The Ellesmere Out of School Project is to be closed at the end of this school year, it has been announced.
The club has been providing after school activities based at Byron Wood School for over eight years, with the support of its voluntary management committee. It is due to close on 20th July.
The decision came after confirmation that New Deal will not continue funding for the project. I went to speak to club co-ordinator Alice Johnson about the closure.
“The club just wasn’t sustainable anymore. Obviously, the cutting of funding was a last straw, but there were other problems too.There wasn’t enough money, along side the funding, going into the club.
“I’m hoping that after the club closes there maybe a new club, perhaps run by the schooln or someone else in the community.The club is a place for children to socialise in, it would be a real shame if that was lost.”
The club has gone through many changes over the years, in both staff and location. I asked Alice of her memories of the club.
“I came here about five years ago after I finished my university course. I have so many happy memories of the club, as do all the staff who work here, we’re really going to miss it. But over the past year the club has been in slow decline, we felt it was the right time to close the club.”
So, in celebration, the Adventure Playground have allowed the club to throw a huge party on Wednesday 19th July, 3–8pm.
“We want anyone who’s ever attended, worked here or anyone who has really had anything to do with the club to come. It will be sad to see the club go,but at least we can end on a good note.”