Youth centre closing ‘not forced’ by critics

Press, 24 February 1986, Page 5

Youth centre closing ‘not forced’ by critics

The closing of the Christchurch Youth Centre for reappraisal was not forced by criticism of the centre last week, said a Christchurch City Council community adviser, Mr Alistair Graham.

The centre will be closed for six days this week and will reopen on March 3 at 12 p.m. so staff and trustees can reappraise the aims of the centre.

Last week several businesses in Worcester Street said the centre had had a detrimental effect on the area and on their trade. Mr Graham said this would be discussed but it was not the reason for the six-day closing. "The reappraisal was something that had been planned to happen at some stage and was not really a result of the criticisms.

“We have been going

only three months and like any organisation it is valuable to reappraise where we are going and set aims for the future,” said Mr Graham. The centre had to be closed because staff could not run the centre and participate in the reappraisal at the same time, he said. More staff would be desirable to keep an eye on behaviour outside the centre but many of the complaints made by businesses had little foundation, he said. Local businesses benefited from this through their cheap rents or leases, and many of the centre’s neighbours had recently signed further leases, he said. Mr Graham suggested the centre had become a scapegoat for any problems faced by local businesses. He cited one complaint that young people

from the centre had been breaking into cars.

“It turned out that the cars were actually parked a block and a half away from the centre,” he said.

Finance would be one issue discussed during the reappraisal, Mr Graham said. The centre would cost about $130,000 a year to run, and more than $70,000 of this sum would have to come from sources other than grants.

Mr Graham said immediate funding had gone towards refurbishing and it was hoped that the Christchurch City Council would grant another $60,000.

The Christchurch Rotary Club was trying to raise $lOO,OOO for the centre. Rotary’s offer of support was an indication that the centre was serving a need in the city, he said.