A YORK charity is calling on city businesses to help fund a newly launched youth club.

The Island, which provides mentoring services to nearly 170 vulnerable children and young people, launched the club at Foxwood Community Centre last week.

It is open every Tuesday evening 7pm-9pm and is free for 13-18s.

Activities include Table tennis, Pool, Air Hockey , Board Games , Arts and Crafts , Football / Outdoor Sports, Boxing, plus Cooking / Baking

Run by The Island’s Group Leads, George Arksey and Lucy Nicholls, the youth club promises a safe space for young people to develop their skills, improve their confidence and self-esteem and provide them with the chance to meet new people.

Another part of the new Youth Club is that each Tuesday evening, a few of its Youth Workers will leave the Community Centre to go and speak with young people in and around the Foxwood area.

The charity says this is a fantastic way to give the young people a chance to talk about what is important to them and suggest what they would like to see change.

All the youth workers involved in this new project have grown up in York, with The Island saying they are incredibly passionate about giving back to their community and making sure the young people of today are able to have the opportunities they would like to be able to access.

However, the charity is also looking for volunteers from the community who would be interested in helping at the new Youth Club.

This year, The Island also announced plans for a new children’s hub in Huntington (pictured right).

George explained: “Youth group based provisions can have a long-lasting positive impact on young lives, including on young people’s confidence and strengthening their emotional and mental wellbeing through positive activities and trusted relationships.”

According to a report by the YMCA, spending over the last decade on youth services has been cut by 70%.

George added: “Youth clubs have proven to reduce anti-social behaviour in communities. We are drawn to creating a youth club provision at Foxwood Community Centre due to it being an accessible venue for all, including our disabled young people who also attend groups. However, to sustain the youth club long-term, we’re looking for business support.”

Businesses currently supporting The Island include Barratt Homes, Choc Affair, Baba Ganoush Catering, York Mumbler, The Botanist and Supersonic Gym , who are based in Stonebow. They are currently fundraising for the Foxwood youth club and have volunteered to row in this Sunday’s York Dragon Boat Races.

Lucy added: “business support comes in all different shapes and sizes and helps us to better forecast costs for our youth club based provisions. For example, many businesses join our Business Hub, however, others either set up a monthly standing order for us or like our long-term supporter, Supersonic Gym who gets involved with fundraising and volunteer opportunities which really do make a difference in the work we do to support the next generation.” To find out more about The Island and Foxwood Youth Club, visit www.theislandyork.org. To donate to the Boat Race fundraiser, visit: www.yorkrotary.enthuse.com/pf/the-islanders-de903