Yell youth club closed for now after failing to recruit new committee members

THE YELL youth club and cafe has been closed until further notice due to struggles with finding a new committee.

It comes after an EGM was held on Wednesday.

Without a committee the Mid Yell youth club, and the cafe for senior children, is unable to run.

A call has been made for any parents interested in joining the committee to get in touch.

More information regarding contact details can be found on the club’s Facebook page.

North Isles councillor Ryan Thomson said it was a “real shame” for the bairns in Yell that the club has closed – especially with winter approaching.

The long-running youth club at the Mid Yell Hall took place on Thursdays and the youth cafe was held on Friday nights.

Treasurer Jill Thomson said it was “really disappointing” that nobody came along to the EGM.

She said the youth club had a good attendance of children.

“We used to have about 99 per cent of all the young people in Yell come to our youth cafe,” Thomson added.

“Our numbers have been slightly down with Covid and all that, and you’ve not had it for two years, so it takes a peerie while for that uptake and routine to come back again sometimes.”

The youth club also hosts a shopping trip in Lerwick for the older children, and puts on a Christmas card delivery service for the whole of Yell.

Thomson said she has been involved in the club as a committee member and youth worker for around 25 years, “so I think it’s time to hand the reins over to somebody else”.

There is a youth club in Burravoe in Yell which has been shut due to a lack of staff, but is understood there are hopes it may be up and running again.