News / st judes
Urgent call to save youth project that has served community for 130 years
A youth project in St Jude’s that has been serving the local community for more than 100 years could be forced to close without urgent support.
The Broad Plain and Riverside Youth Project, has found itself in a “very dire” financial position due to a loss of funding over the last six months.
The youth project on Clement Street in St Jude’s will have been running for 130 years in 2024.
is needed now More than ever
Centre director Dennis Stinchcombe is keen to keep its doors open well into the future to support young people in Bristol.
The youth project will have been running for 130 years in 2024
In a post on Facebook, he said: “At the moment, if we don’t bring in either business or funding for the remainder of this year then we will have no alternative but to close.
“At the moment, just our electric bill is £2,000 per month so that might explain why our situation is dire.”
Dennis is urging residents to consider holding events and parties at the venue, which he says has a fully licensed bar and is outside of the clean air zone (CAZ) boundary.
He is also asking those driving in to shop in Broadmead to consider parking in the club’s car park to raise additional “much-needed income”.
The youth project will shortly be launching a crowd funding page and is also welcoming new members to join its boxing club.
Dennis said: “We have some very exciting funding activities already planned and committed for next year, 2024, our 130th anniversary of serving the young people and their communities of Bristol.
“That is of course if we are able to remain open for business until then.”
He added: “If I don’t raise the funds, then we close and that, I am afraid, would be the end of what has been a fantastic asset to the youth and community of this city and county of Bristol.”
Jen Smith is reporting on St Jude’s as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media
All photos: Martin Booth
Read next:
- Residents demand unused place of worship becomes youth centre
- ‘St Jude’s needs systematic change to improve, not colourful architectural illustrations’
- Bristol arts organisation to close due to funding cuts
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