A YOUTH club in Thornbury that feared it would have to close due to funding cuts has been saved.

Organisers at Krunch South West, which runs out of Turnberrie’s Community Centre, said they feared the worst following significant cuts to their income over the past few years, with some staff even working part-voluntarily to keep the initiative going.

But, after a last-ditch application to the National Lottery, the club will get more than £12,000 a year for the next three years.

A further £20,000 has been awarded to develop the skate park, part of the club’s developmental work.

“This time last year, I thought we were going to close,” said Krunch project manager Penny Baker.

“When the finances were reduced by 30 per cent there was no way we could have continued.

“When I was told we had been allocated funding it was a huge sense of relief.”

Krunch has worked with more than 800 young people in the Thornbury area since it was set up five years ago, with more than 100 between the ages of nine and 25 attending the sessions. The club, which costs around £50,000 a year, is funded by South Gloucestershire Council, Thornbury Town Council and grant applications.

“We have started a volunteer programme where young people we have been working with put back into the club,” said Penny.

“It would have been devastating to close just as we were about to reap what we have sewn.”

Referring to the redevelopment of Thornbury Skate Park, Penny said the prospect of a new type of youth work was ‘exciting’, with a chance to with a chance to create new ways of working with young people in addition to centre-based work”

Over the past year, Krunch has worked with other youth work providers to create the South Gloucestershire Youth Work Partnership, and it is through this that the lottery application came about.

Creative Youth Network, Krunch South West, Southern Brooks, The Diversity Trust and Wickwar Youth Centre formed the Partnership to make sure services for young people were maintained and improved in the face of government cuts. 

Sandy Hore-Ruthven, CEO of Creative Youth Network who lead the Partnership, said: “We know that funding cuts are effecting the lives and opportunties that young people in South Gloucestershire have and we wanted to make sure we offered young people the best support we can.

"We are proud that this funding brings together the best organisations in the area to improve services rather than just coping with further cuts.

"Young people really will get the best start in life because of the work we will be doing over the next three years. We are really pleased to have received the money from BIG lottery."