South Yorkshire Times, February 7, 1970
This Means Life For 230
Wath Festival Road Youth Centre is one of the finest centres of its kind in the West Riding. It has come a long way since the days when club members used to meet at Wath Park Road School and a dedicated set of Management Committee members led by Mr. C. A. Wroe set their hearts on providing it.
It became an established fact some two and a half years ago and throughout its short life it has more than justified itself. In so far as variety of opportunity is concerned it is a veritable Aladdin’s Cave. Five-a-side football, badminton, netball, head tennis, keep-fit classes, table tennis, dressmaking, cosmetics, hairdressing, woodwork, drama, debating, folk music, films, dancing, shorthand, a games room for chess, etc., television, coffee bar, football, hiking, club outings, club holidays and table games (not to mention the ever popular “juke box”) are just a few of the facilities It offers its 230 plus members, about half of whom attend every night it is open – and that means six nights a week – from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The big event of recent months was the success of the table tennis “team” (Jesse Cotton, George Mills, Stephen Bailey and John Spencer) in establishing a “Marathon” long playing record of five days non-stop 120 hours. The club team plays in the Youth League, as does the club’s soccer eleven in the football section.
The five-a-side soccer team meets its contemporaries in “friendlies” at Wath (this because of the magnificent gymnasium the club possesses) on a knock-out basis.
Innovation
The games room for chess, dominoes, draughts and card games is a recent innovation and is proving very popular. So, for that matter, is the installation of a television set, and so popular has this become, members of the club’s own Members’ Committee have suggested increasing the weekly shilling membership fee to one and six to make possible the provision of colour TV (especially with the World Cup in mind). The initial registration fee is 2s. 6d. and after that members pay merely the shilling a week to enjoy all these considerable facilities provided for them.
The Members’ Committee have already met to discuss the summer programme and have come up with ideas for visits to London, to Heath Row, to the B.E.A. workshops, the British Grand Prix, hiking and camping expeditions on the north Yorkshire moors and a club holiday at the International Camp in Essex in July and August. Last year the club holiday was to Spain. The year before members went on a caravan tour of southern Ireland.
The Members’ Committee works closely in collaboration with the Centre Management committee, which is now led by Coun. C. A. Kelly, J.P., and incorporates a wide representation of the town’s interests.
Excellent staff
The Club Leader is Mr. E. H. Meakin of Thurnscoe, formerly a member of the teaching staff of Darfield County Primary School and a former leader of Swinton Comprehensive School Youth Club. There are four part time assistants on establishment and three voluntary assistants. Each makes an extremely valuable contribution to the success of the Centre.
Mr. Meakin, who succeeded Mr Richard Mann B.A. in September, 1969, has quickly won an extremely warm place in the affection of club members and indeed his own personality is reflected in the considerable progress t h e Centre has made and in the happy atmosphere which prevails. His wife, Pat, who is a Part Time Leader, has her own special place in members’ affections and her catering contribution to the recent T.T. Marathon” was especially apreciated. It would hardly be complete without a men-bon of the Centre’s caretaker, Mrs Darwin. Says Mr. Makin, She takes a tremendous pride in the Club and her wort and her interest in it are highly appreciated.”
Fully occupied
The Centre itself is rarely idle”. Each lunchtime, sixth formers from the adjacent Grammar School use it as a social centre, and on three mornings a week it is occupied by a play group.
The dressmaking class is busy with maxis’ and ‘minis’ at the moment. (Maybe this is something to do with the fact that there are more boys than girls at the centre —though the gap is narrowing a little).
All in all — Festival Road Youth Centre is like a happy ship and at night. with its lights shining, it very often resembles one;