Youth club benefits from state-of-the-art facilities

Oct 1 2009 by Debbie Hall, West Lothian Courier

A NEW and exciting youth club has opened its doors in Livingston.

Young people aged between 12 and 17 will be able to make use of the state-of-the-art sports and community facilities at Deans Community High School on Fridays from 12.30pm until 7pm.

Over £20,000 is being invested in the multi-activity programme, which offers local young people the chance get involved in activities such as football, basketball, swimming, dance, fitness classes, music – including instrument tuition – using a studio, digital DJ, and much more.

Executive councillor for education Andrew Miller, explained: “A key challenge for the north of Livingston is to provide for the young people of the area.

“Fox Fridays will be a great chance for these local young people to make free use of the superb facilities in the brand new Deans Community High School.

“It will offer a wide range of activities to suit most tastes, and we would also welcome any suggestions from the young people themselves about what they would like to do.

“Projects like this have proven successful in engaging young people and giving them real alternatives to alcohol and substance misuse by encouraging them to stay healthy and active, and participate in positive ways and have fun.

“We hope to get around 100 young people coming along to Fox Fridays on a regular basis from all the schools in the area. A healthy meal will be provided.”

Fox Fridays is a project established under the council’s new strategy for tackling underage drinking. West Lothian Council has allocated £250,000 a year for a range of projects, offering a positive alternative for young people, particularly on Friday afternoons and evenings.

And the police have reported that youth calls have fallen by 50 per cent since the strategy started taking effect, with a 35 per cent drop in vandalism and a 28.6 per cent drop in minor assaults.