Cheque for £4,000 Presented to Manor Sports and Leisure Ltd

The Mayor of Raunds, Cllr Sylvia Hughes was delighted to present a cheque for £4,000 to Manor Sports and Leisure Ltd. The donation from the Council's Environment, Leisure and Recreation Committee's Youth Work Fund will be put towards the cost of 'The Den' Youth Club.

Tom Hatton Facilities Manager said "The Den is a youth club delivered by the team at Manor Sports and Leisure, situated within the Manor School community. It was launched in the Summer of 2020 with the support of Raunds Town Council in the way of funding the equipment for the young people.

Since its launch, the club welcomes on average forty young people a week whereby they can engage in a range of activities, socialise with friends and feel safe within the facilities on offer. This is staffed by two members of the sports centre team who have undergone additional training to better support the young people such as Designated Safeguarding Lead.

As the demand increases, so does the pressures on the centre's finances as we are proud this service is free to access, however, the strain was being felt as we continue our recovery from the pandemic. The sports centre team approached the council and delivered a presentation on all the great things we have done so far and the exciting developments we wish to implement for the benefit of those that attend.

We are pleased and grateful to Raunds Town Council for allocating £4000.00 which will now safeguard this club for the next twelve-months and ensure this safe space and support is accessible for the young people of Raunds."

The Mayor of Raunds said "Raunds Town Council is delighted to support the initiative which is an excellent resource for the young people of the town"

Cllr Lee Wilkes, Chairman of the ELR Committee said "We are delighted to be able to provide ongoing support for The Den at Manor School. Raunds is so lucky to have this great facility, which only exists because of the hard work and dedication of volunteers, Manor School, Raunds Town Council and especially Tom Hatton and his team. The Council have always recognised the need to support everyone in Raunds, and this particular facility provides our young people with an exciting, safe and supportive place to meet friends. We wish them every continued success."