Carlisle's Rock Youth Project which helps keep kids out of prison nears £70,000 fundraising target
A youth club in one of the most deprived areas of Cumbria is hoping to revamp its ageing facilities.
The Rock Youth Project in Carlisle is fundraising to replace its sheds which were built just after the Second World War and are not water tight.
Staff have said replacing the facilities will make a difference to what the centre can offer to young people in the area.
The service supports around 1,000 young people aged seven to 19 in Currock, Upperby, Harraby and Pettrill Bank, and has been keeping young people in the area out of trouble for the last fifteen years.
The campaign to raise £70,000 to replace the old huts was started before the pandemic but a recent surge in donations means the group is now more than two thirds of the way to hitting its target.
The Reverend Alun Jones, chair of the Rock Project, said: "These kids, I think, deserve something befitting the requirements of a good place to meet, that will help them to realise that they are part of something really good.
"You know, kids deserve something that's modern. We need to get rid of these two huts and build something here that will make them proud to come to the rock, and be part of the Rock Youth Project."
The fundraising is vital for the Rock Youth Project as they help keep children off the streets. Some parts of Carlisle, like Currock, are among the UK's most deprived communities with high levels of poverty and anti social behaviour.
Staff at the group have worked tirelessly to keep children on the right path since 2007 offering all sorts of activities from arts and crafts to a wide range of games.
Reverend Jones added:"I get letters from kids who used to come to the Rock ten, 15 years ago, and I meet them in the streets and they say without the Rock, they would have ended up in the judicial system, in jail, young offenders places.
"I thank God for the Rock and I get letters like that quite regularly."
Over the school summer holidays the Rock Youth Project are rolling out extra activities like this family fun days to help those who might be struggling.
Reverend Jones continued: "It is about giving children somewhere to go to, because a lot of these kids, they're not going anywhere. They're just sat at home.
"Holiday hunger is a massive issue, especially the cost of living at the moment. There isn't a lot of options. Sometimes these kids, the main route for them to go is county lines, drugs is a simple option for them. There's a high risk of being exploited, so it is just about being here showing them that they can do something, that they can make it."
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