Anger over youth club closure
Dublin People 01 Oct 2011
ORGANISERS of a
Northside club that catered for up to 80 youths each week say they’ve been left
devastated after learning that their premises is no longer available to them.
The Coultry Youth
Club, based in a building on Wood Hazel Terrace, had been operating since 2007
under a caretaker’s agreement with Ballymun Regeneration Ltd.
However, a club
spokesperson said they had to stop using the premises last January when the
electricity was cut off and have recently learned that the caretaker’s
agreement has since been cancelled leaving them with nowhere to meet.
Speaking to
Northside People last week Coultry Youth Club facilitator, Oliver Scully, said
they had been unable to change the ESB account into the club’s name as they
were told there was an outstanding bill pre-dating 2007.
“The ESB told us
in 2009 that they couldn’t change the account into our name until the old bill
was settled,
? he told Northside People.
The club say they
were in contact with BRL about the bill and believed the premises would be
available to them once it was settled. However, they recently learnt that the
equipment used by the youth club had been removed and placed in storage and
that the premises had been surrendered back to BRL.
The youth club,
which was set up by Coultry Forum, had been using the premises since 2007 after
it was made available to them under the caretaker’s agreement.
They understood
that the agreement was temporary but believed they would be helped by BRL to
set up a new, permanent premises in the future.
Mr Scully says the
community now feels let down as the premises is being prepared for use by a
local football club, leaving the young club members with nowhere to go.
“The building is
now being prepared for use as a football club’s changing rooms,
? he told
Northside People.
“All of the youth
club’s equipment, including computers, TVs, furniture, a new pool table, and a
fully-fitted kitchen, have been removed from the premises. The place has been
gutted.
“Builders are in
now fitting out the place as a changing room. We have nothing against the
football club at all, they are doing fantastic work and are entitled to fight
for a premises too, but we also need a venue to keep children off the streets.
?
Mr Scully said the
club accepts that when the caretaker’s agreement was made in 2007, the club was
warned that BRL might need to take back the building some time in the future.
However, he says
they believed they would be helped to find a new venue, and that BRL would help
the club financially.
When contacted by
Northside People, a spokesperson for Ballymun Regeneration Limited confirmed
that a caretaker’s agreement was signed in 2007 concerning the property at Wood
Hazel Terrace.
They added that
the use of the property at the time was defined as
“for changing facilities for
Coultry Celtic FC and youth activities, but not for residential purposes
?.
The spokesperson
said that the agreement arose out of
“an overflow
? in the Coultry Forum office,
which had been previously based in the Coultry Neighbourhood Centre.
However the
spokesperson denied any suggestions that the club had been forced out of the building.
“Earlier this
year, the Forum stated that the unit was no longer in use by the Forum and
agreed to surrender the property back to BRL,
? the spokesperson said.
Mr Scully said the
club’s biggest concern now is for the 80 children who used to attend the
Coultry Youth Club over four nights a week.
“We used to have
an average of 20 children in a night, ranging in age from six to 18,
? he said.
“For the younger
children, it’s basically a free babysitting service. But for the teenagers,
it’s much more important than that.
?
Mr Scully said
some of the older youngsters attending the club could have been at risk of
engaging in anti-social behaviour if they didn’t have anywhere to go during the
evening.
“But when they
came to us, they were allowed to come and go as they wanted, they watched TV,
made their own toasted sandwiches; they were doing really well,
? he continued.
Mr Scully said
locals were concerned about what might happen the youngsters during the winter
without the club.
“We did what we
could over the summer, taking the kids to various events, but with the youth
club gone there are no facilities for young people in the Coultry area.
?
Mr Scully said the
club was considering seeking legal advice on the matter but will be meeting
with BRL this week.
“We’re supposed to
be having a meeting with BRL representatives this week, but I’m afraid we will
just be given the slow run-around for months,
? he said.
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