New youth wing is proving a success

The youth wing has recently benefited from 80,000 spent on transforming the two floors of the former music block of the college.

The money has enabled a complete revamp of the detached building to take place. It has resulted in a table-tennis table, pool table, table soccer game, music decks and a Nintendo Wii computer game console being fitted.

Much of the funds went on installing drainage for two toilets, with disabled access, to be installed.

The work of the youth wing was previously carried out from a cramped office by the college's youth worker in charge, Clair Goddard. She used classrooms for its activities as well as hiring space in The Arena sports centre on the campus.

She said: "It's like being in heaven to go from having nothing to having these rooms. It's really good for young people that they can share ownership of the building.

"They can just come in and sit down and chill if they like or take part in any of the activities."

The block, sited at the college's South Way entrance, is the only surviving building of the Bognor Technical College of the Sixties.

Its new life as the youth wing, which is run by the council's children's and young people's services department separately from the college, sees it open three nights a week. It is open to all young people whether or not they attend the community college.

Mondays between 6pm and 7.30pm are for 11 and 12-year-olds. Wednesdays sees baby sitting courses take place from 4pm to 6pm.

They are followed by kayaking in the college swimming pool next door for 11-19 year-olds as well as War Hammer war gaming sessions between 7pm and 9pm.

The most popular nights are Fridays with football among the fun to be had from 7pm to 9pm for those aged from 11 to 19 years. Workshops on healthy eating also take place regularly.

The creation of the youth wing facilities was a joint project between West Sussex local education authority, Connexion youth service, with help from Bognor and Felpham colleges and Westergate school.

Clair said it made sense to carry out the work even though the youth wing would be moved when the new community college was built in two years' time.

"If we were to wait that long, we would lose the interest of the core group of young people who use us. They would not go to other clubs," she explained.

"They would just have nowhere else to go. Being here also allows the students who are coming up from the lower school in the next two years to take ownership of the youth wing and know what happens here before we move into our new premises.

"The youth wing having its own identity has been important for the young people to take ownership of the building, decorating and furnishing it to their choice also in developing project work around important issues for them.

"Having a positive voice in today's society is hard. Having places to go is vital for young people to be heard.

"There's a lot of talk about young people having nothing to do. This youth wing proves that's not true. With what we have here, and with The Arena next door, it makes our facilities like those you would find in a small village.'

She hopes to expand the youth wing's opening to 3pm from 6pm on schooldays to allow students to go in straight after their lessons.