Villagers band together to support youth club

Since being set up in March it has gone from strength to strength and more than 20 young people regulary go to the village hall for sports and fun activities on alternate Friday evenings.

The youngsters applied for funding for sports and play equipment but they have 24-year-old Gemma Kybert to thank for coming up with the idea for a youth club.

She said, 'The local PCSO had the given the kids a telling off for a few minor petty things like drawing on the kerb in chalk and there was a lot of bad feeling in the village.

'I saw a group of young people just standing around and looking bored and I just thought to myself that's not how it's supposed to be.

'So, I had a chat with them and we talked about things to make things better for them.'

Soon after Gemma helped to form the Chailey Youth Club Committee with the support of Action for Rural Sussex, which gave her advice on how to go about setting up the club.

A group of young people put forward a successful bid for government funding and with the help of Chailey Parish Council, local parents and other volunteers.

Ken Furmedge, 68, from Appledene Corner, is a regular volunteer and believes it has helped young people and has appealed for other members of the community to get involved.

He said: 'I think it's been excellent. All the young people say it somewhere good for them to go and they want it to be open every week, but we don't have enough volunteers for that.

'So, if anyone else thinks they could help out we'd be very pleased to hear them.'