The future of a youth club in west Dorset is looking more secure after a new committee held its first meeting, with more volunteers stepping up to help.

As previously reported, the youth club in Charmouth came close to disbanding without public support, as the club was also set to lose the rights to the building on Wesley Close.

This is because the contract with the owners of the building from the 1960s meant the club had free use of the building forever, as long as the building provides opportunities for young people.

Losing the Wesley Close building also meant that any other clubs or societies that have previously rented it out will not be able to do so. 

The Charmouth Youth Club on Wesley Close (Image: Google Maps) After word of mouth, posters and an article in the News, a new committee was elected at the eleventh hour to save the youth club.

Now the committee has met to discuss the plans for the club going forward, which has not officially offered activities since the Covid pandemic, after it was closed in 2016.  

Nic Rutterford, secretary of the club said: “The committee is made up of people from a variety of backgrounds with different skills.

“We've all been in the village for different lengths of time from one person who was born in Charmouth, to someone who has lived here less than a year, and everything in between.

“We have also pulled together a list of another dozen people who have agreed to volunteer to support the the youth club in other capacities.

“The one common thing we all share is a passion for giving the younger members of our community a place to socialise and generally wanting to give something back to the local community.

“I think it's fantastic how these people have come forward to support this important local resource, especially as there are so many other local groups already relying on volunteers.”

Mr Rutterford previously said that there were hopes for activities to start at the club within the next couple of months whilst maintenance work is carried out in the meantime, and has remained tight-lipped about when the doors will open.

He added: “We have identified that we have a huge challenge ahead of us to fully reopen the youth club, so at this point do not have a specific target date ready.