CONCERN that A Place to Be youth group was having to “worry and scrabble around” to pay its staff has prompted Haslemere Town Council to increase the grant applied for and to urge that the next council elected on May 2 should follow suit.

Youth group management committee chairman Michael Lockwood attended last Thursday’s full council meeting to request a grant of £1,000 to cover ongoing staff costs. The town council granted £1,000 to help pay wages in the 2018/19 financial year.

Mr Lockwood told members it cost around £10,000 a year to run the popular club at The Wey Centre, which now has just under 100 members aged 11 to 13 years, but many grant providers ruled out funding specifically to pay for staff.

He said experienced staff were needed more than ever due to the growing number of members who needed counselling as well as a place to meet up and enjoy activities with friends.

“The group has prospered since it was set up in 2005,” Mr Lockwood said. “At first the needs of the kids were no different from when I was a child, but it has changed since 2010. Children have more difficult lives, with more suffering from depression.

“Most are having a great time, but around 30 regular attendees are in that category and the reason we need so much for wages is because we need specialised people who are educated in safe parenting skills and can deal with members on a one to one basis.

“We have a youth leader and two workers, one of whom is a trained counsellor, plus three or four volunteers. Our problem is that many organisations will not allow wages to be included in any grant.

“Haslemere is not a poor area, but there is a fairly large dark area in the town that needs people like us.”

Councillor Nikki Barton said: “The youth group shouldn’t need to worryand scrabble around for staff costs and young people need to see the same faces.

“The issues it is trying to support are so prevalent. The town council should commit now to putting funding into its revenue budget so it can plan ahead.”

Members agreed to make a grant of £1,480 towards A Place to Be’s staffing costs.

Town mayor and chairman David Round thanked Waverley Borough Council for taking over the lease of The Wey Centre from Surrey County Council. It is being revitalised by new independent managers as the Haslemere Youth Hub offering more activities in addition to the youth group and StreetNation dance school, saying: “Everyone is happy it is back under Waverley’s management.”