Drop-in for fun in Wokingham

By Jess Osborne and Melissa Lever

On Friday 5^th May 2006, the All Saints Friday Drop-in celebrated its 5^th Anniversary and 5 years of hard work contributed by the youth club members and leaders. The event took place between 7.30- 9.30, with special guests including the Mayor of Wokingham and the Chairman of Wokingham District Council arriving at 8’o clock.

The activities on the night included glass painting, pool, karaoke, and of course cake! As well as all of this, the SPLAT team, which is part of Berkshire Association of Clubs for Young People, organised many enjoyable games, such as box hockey, that encourage working as part of a group. Caroline from the SPLAT team stated that “it’s my second time visiting the All Saints Friday Drop-in and it’s such a lovely club; all the children are wonderful.”

Every Friday, the youth club at The Cornerstone, Norreys Avenue, Wokingham, is “the place to be” for 11-14 year olds. The Mayor of Wokingham described the building as “a very nice facility. The aim of the De Vitre project was to find a community hall- this is exactly what we wanted.” He also added that the youth club is an extremely good idea because “children need to engage more in sporting activities, no matter how able they are.”

The aims of the All Saints Friday Drop-in include enjoying and achieving, staying safe, economic wellbeing, making a positive contribution and staying healthy. Over the last 5 years, the youth club has involved the members in a number of exciting activities and achievements. These include Superdance tournaments, a community mural project, a visit to London’s West End to see ‘Stomp’, a t-shirt painting workshop and youth awards from the Chairman of Wokingham District Council. Mr. Iain Brown also attended the celebrations on the 5^th May, along with his wife. He commented on how quickly the last 5 years have gone, and praised the club on how successful it has been. He thought that, “it is excellent that young people get involved in community activities and develop friendships along the way. It’s impressive that they have such a caring attitude. I’m very proud.”

However, none of this could have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of the youth club leaders. Mike Moulds has been a volunteer youth worker for 3 years and got involved because of his enjoyment of working with children. When asked if he was excited about the evening’s celebrations, he explained that, “I think it’s very nice of the Mayor and the Chairman of Wokingham District Council to support the club.” Dave, aged 14, is a member of the All Saints Friday Drop-in and has been a youth leader for 1 year: “I enjoy coming to the youth club and I enjoy the responsibility I have. It’s a great place to meet up with friends.”

The All Saints Friday Youth Drop-In Club are in need of someone to volunteer as a youth leader. If you are interested, contact Lorraine Hodgson on 0118 9792999. In the Wokingham area is also Millennium Volunteers, a programme designed to get young people aged 16-24 involved in their community through volunteering, from coaching a football team to helping a child with special needs. If you would like the chance to become part of the team and gain new life experiences, contact Jacqui Dawson on 0118 9774418.