A PUBLIC plea for help to save the High Lane Youth Club in Haslemere fell on deaf ears as a meeting to discuss the issue suffered a disappointing turn out on Monday night. Leaflets were distributed in the local area informing residents about the public meeting.
It aimed to rally local support for an initiative to retain a youth service at High Lane community centre in Weycombe Road. Letters were also sent to local councillors, the police and churches in Haslemere.
However, only one member of the public attended the meeting along with mayor Michael Dover and councillor John Robini.
The Herald had not been informed of the meeting prior to contact on Tuesday from the local resident who attended the meeting.
"I went along to the meeting and to my amazement and sadness, I was the only member of the public to turn up," said Mrs Grottick of Bartholomew Close.
"At the monthly police/community/ consultative meetings, I have listened to the numerous complaints on the poor behaviour of local youth. The youth club would seem to be a more structured way of helping young people in the area to develop and I am disappointed by the response this meeting received from the neighbourhood as a whole."
A spokesman for Surrey Youth Development Service, Sarah Johnson, told The Herald that the High Lane Community Centre is currently being used as a temporary base for the Haslemere Outreach Programme, which was set up in response to the anti-social behaviour which occurred at Lion Green.
"In the winter months when it gets colder, the community centre is used as a temporary base for the outreach programme.
"In the warmer months, they go all over Haslemere to places such as Lion Green," she said.
"We decided that we can set up a youth club at High Lane but we do not have the staff for it at the moment as they have a different remit. We need volunteers to run the youth club as we can't do it ourselves."
Mr Robini commented said that the meeting was to look at ways to allow the continuation of the youth project when Surrey Youth Service withdraw its funding at the end of this year.
He said this will require a committee of volunteers to raise money and manage the project.
"The young people enjoy the facility," said Mr Robini. "I was very disappointed the local community did not turn up and show their support."
It was agreed that Mr Dover and Mr Robini would write to local contacts in order to get together a group of volunteers.
• If you would like to volunteer your services, phone Mr Robini on 01428 653905 or write to him at 27 Whitfield Road, Haslemere.