Friday 29 March 2024
 7.3°C   SSE Gentle Breeze
Ocean Kinetics - The Engineering Experts

Community / Club stays open for now

THE CUNNINGSBURGH Village Club is set to stay open for the time being as a crowdfunding campaign is launched to raise money for the cash-strapped building.

Cunningsburgh Village Club.

An EGM was held by the club last week to discuss the way forward amid worries it could have to close.

The club building is used by the senior and junior youth clubs as well as the Peerie Club and a variety of other community organisations.

But the club has been struggling to meet its running costs for some time, with no money for new equipment or improvements to the single-glazed building.

Club chairman Gary Cape said the building is now set to stay open until at least Christmas to allow further talks with the council and time to pursue funding sources.

While the turnout was not as great as hoped, Cape said there were “sufficient concerned parents to make holding the meeting worthwhile”.

Immediate dissolution of the club and the liquidation of assets was discussed at the meeting, but there was no desire to see this happen.

The committee plans to talk to Shetland Islands Council’s education department, youth work services, community development, local councillors and other local stakeholders.

They have launched a crowdfunding appeal with a target of £5,000 to cover running costs.

“It was clear from the meeting that folk would consider the closure of the club to be a real loss, not just to the kids, but to the whole community,” Cape said.

“As a committee, we now have a duty to establish if the building can be saved in its current form and to do everything we can to keep the youth clubs running.

“I’m looking forward to meeting soon with other concerned stakeholders to find the best long-term solution for the children of Cunningsburgh.”

Local councillors have backed the cause, with education and families committee chairman George Smith previously saying that “reducing support for youth work is short sighted and goes against the ethos of early intervention”.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider start paying for their dose of the latest local news delivered straight to their PC, tablet or mobile phone.

Journalism comes at a price and because that price is not being paid in today’s rapidly changing media world, most publishers - national and local - struggle financially despite very healthy audience figures.

Most online publishers have started charging for access to their websites, others have chosen a different route. Shetland News currently has  over 600 supporters  who are all making small voluntary financial contributions. All funds go towards covering our cost and improving the service further.

Your contribution will ensure Shetland News can: -

  • Bring you the headlines as they happen;
  • Stay editorially independent;
  • Give a voice to the community;
  • Grow site traffic further;
  • Research and publish more in-depth news, including more Shetland Lives features.

If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a supporter of Shetland News by either making a single payment or monthly subscription.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.

 
Categories

Newsletters

Subscribe to a selection of different newsletters from Shetland News, varying from breaking news delivered on the minute, to a weekly round-up of the opinion posts. All delivered straight to your inbox.

Daily Briefing Newsletter Weekly Highlights Newsletter Opinion Newsletter Life in Shetland Newsletter

JavaScript Required

We're sorry, but Shetland News isn't fully functional without JavaScript enabled.
Head over to the help page for instructions on how to enable JavaScript on your browser.

Your Privacy

We use cookies on our site to improve your experience.
By using our service, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

Browser is out-of-date

Shetland News isn't fully functional with this version of .
Head over to the help page for instructions on updating your browser for more security, improved speed and the best overall experience on this site.

Interested in Notifications?

Get notifications from Shetland News for important and breaking news.
You can unsubscribe at any time.

Become a supporter of Shetland News

We're committed to ensuring everyone has equitable access to impartial, open and quality local journalism that benefits all residents.

By supporting Shetland News, you play a vital role in ensuring we remain a pivotal resource in supporting the community.

Support us from as little as £3 per month – it only takes a minute to sign up. Thank you.