Andover Community Engage (ACE) has warned that its youth service will be unable to continue if vital funding is not approved, as supporters are urged to attend a council meeting in Andover this evening.
Tania from ACE joined Ben Tuffin on the Andover Radio Morning Show to discuss the future of ACE Youth and the importance of a £36,000 funding request which is due to be considered by councillors.
Listen: ACE speaks to Andover Radio
Tania joined Ben Tuffin live on the Andover Radio Morning Show to explain why the £36,000 funding is so important, what ACE Youth provides for young people in Andover and what could happen if the funding is not approved. She also made a direct appeal to the community to attend tonight’s meeting at the Guildhall and show councillors how much support there is for the service.
Listen to Ben’s full interview with Tania from Andover Community Engage below.
The meeting takes place at Andover Guildhall at 6.30pm today, Wednesday 9 September, with ACE encouraging members of the community who value the service to attend from around 6.15pm and demonstrate their support.
Speaking on Andover Radio, Tania said the funding would allow the youth provision to continue operating for a further six months.
When asked what would happen if the funding was not approved, she gave a stark response.
“We won’t be able to run,” she said.
A safe space for young people
ACE Youth provides a drop-in service for young people aged between 10 and 17 from the charity’s community hub in Bridge Street.
Tania explained that the service is designed to give young people somewhere they can feel comfortable, socialise and simply be themselves.
Young people using the service can access free food and drinks, charge their phones, listen to music and spend time with others in what ACE describes as a safe and welcoming environment.
Tania said: “They see it as a safe space. It’s a place where they can be themselves.
“They get free food and drinks, they charge their phones and socialise. They can play music and they can do what they want.”
ACE is now hoping the wider Andover community will demonstrate just how important that provision has become.
Tania told listeners: “We are asking the community, if they believe in our service, if they believe in the youth group, if they think that we are making a difference, to come along and help support us.”
She said supporters do not necessarily have to speak at the meeting, adding that simply being present could help show councillors the strength of feeling surrounding the service.
“The people being there for the councillors to see, whether you speak on our behalf or just sit in the room and help represent us, will hopefully make the councillors see that we are a worthy provision and hopefully it will convince them that we should get the funding,” she said.
Seven years supporting Andover
Andover Community Engage has been operating for almost seven years and has been based at its Bridge Street premises for the past two years.
While ACE Youth is at the centre of the current funding campaign, the charity provides a much wider range of services for people across the community.
These include its Community Fridge, Community Pantry and baby and clothing bank, alongside a Community Lounge which hosts a variety of groups and activities.
ACE also supports people at different stages of life, with baby groups, dementia support, activities for older residents and other community sessions operating from the building.
Its seated exercise sessions have proved particularly popular, with demand resulting in an additional weekly session being introduced.
Tania encouraged people who may not be familiar with the organisation to visit its Bridge Street base and see the work being carried out.
Community urged to turn out
The funding decision now represents a crucial moment for ACE Youth, with the charity making clear that without financial support the service cannot continue in its current form.
ACE is therefore asking anyone who has used its services, knows a young person who has benefited from the youth provision or simply believes it should remain available in Andover to attend tonight’s meeting.
Supporters are being encouraged to arrive at Andover Guildhall from approximately 6.15pm ahead of the 6.30pm meeting.
People can also find out more about ACE by visiting the organisation in Bridge Street, contacting the charity through its social media pages or getting in touch through its website.
The appeal follows ACE’s recent campaign to highlight the importance of its youth provision and encourage the Andover community to make its voice heard over its future.
For the young people who use the service, the outcome of tonight’s meeting could determine whether the safe space they have come to rely upon can remain open.