4YOUth is a self funding youth club run by volunteers in Brightlingsea that was set up to connect youth to their community and give them a space to socialise with friends and meet new people.
The club originated from the vision of 2 senior citizens Joan Leate and Tilly Merit who were concerned about Brightlingsea’s youth not having a safe space to socialise with their friends.
In 1999 the club started as a drop-in centre and ran during the evenings at a local café. Since then, the club has its own permanent venue, with sessions taking place several times a week. It has now been running for 23 years and has guided generations of Brightlingsea youth.
The running of the club is dependent on funding from different grants and organisations and the club is connected with a range of local groups. 4YOUth has been associated with Jack Petchey since 2002, giving the volunteers and members a chance to receive awards.
The chairperson of the club Margaret Tay says that it’s important for communities to have youth clubs. She added: "The youngsters need a place of their own, where they feel safe, can meet their friends and make new friends.”
Other volunteers shared that it’s important that after a school day they can unwind, whether it’s cooking, sports or playing a board game 4YOUth has something to offer for everyone's interests. The club offers a range of activities like games, arts and crafts as well as external trips. In the past the club has hosted first aid, circus, and art sessions and the club's new addition of music lessons.
They also offer trips outside of the club like trips to bowling, Stubbers and Jump Street. Competitions are also offered to the members from the Essex boys and girls clubs that 4YOUth is affiliated with. Fishing, photography, Volleyball and snooker are all examples of past competitions that the centre has participated in. 4YOUth has a forum run by the youth where members get together to voice their views and ideas and have a say in what goes on at the club and within their community. The volunteers described the forum meetings as 'supervised not structured' allowing the members complete creative freedom to discuss and exchange thoughts with others in the club. The content of the meetings vary from planning trips to voting on important issues. The youth club has remained a valuable asset to Brightlingsea and they hope to continue for many more years.
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