YOUNG Melksham has been awarded two grants totalling £12,500 to improve its facilities at the Canberra Centre in Spa Road.

The grants - one worth £7,500 and the other worth £5,000 - were awarded by Wiltshire Council’s local area board at its meeting last week (April 24).

They will enable Young Melksham to replace its “out-dated” toilets and to provide a drop-in cafe for youngsters on Monday and Wednesday afternoons.

Cllr Jon Hubbard, chair of the Young Melksham Trustees, said: “The facilities at present not fit for use, as they are out-dated and deteriorating rapidly.

“The toilets are often extremely difficult to flush, especially for the young people who use the hall on most week days.

“The taps are difficult to fully turn off, thus leading to water waste.”

The youth centre, which attracts more than 400 youngsters aged 9-19, has just signed a 125-year-lease on the premises.

Cllr Hubbard said they plan to install one disabled toilet and five unisex cubicles with water-saving toilets and replace the taps with push-button taps.

The new drop-in cafe will open two afternoons a week after school on Mondays and Wednesdays to enable youngsters to enjoy light snacks and refreshments and socialise on the way home.

Cllr Hubbard said they would be attended by youth workers representatives from other organisations, who will chat informally with youngsters and give advice and help if requested.

“These sessions would provide a vehicle for other organisations to informally engage with the young people in a neutral, safe environment,” Cll Hubbard said.

“It is our intention that the youth cafe would have regular visits from partner agencies, such as Motiv8 drug and alcohol service, the sexual health team and advocacy organisations such as Healthwatch.”

Motiv8 is a substance misuse service for young people aged 11-18 in Wiltshire which provides advice, guidance and one-to-one sessions for young people who are having problems with drugs and/or alcohol.The youngsters will also have access to computers and the internet and will be able to browse the worldwide web and do their homework if they wish.

The area board also approved grants totalling £8,927 to eight other Melksham groups and organisations.

They included £600 for Great Hinton Memorial Hall towards the cost of buying automatic closers for fire doors and £1,000 to Melksham in Bloom to help buy flag materials and flag supports for this year’s displays.

The Enigma Twirl Team was given a £700 grant towards the cost of repairing its trailer to enable the team to take part in local carnivals.

The group planning a celebration for the 800th anniversary of Melksham being granted a market charter by King Henry 3rd was awarded a £1,500 towards the cost of a commemorative stone plaque for the front of the Town Hall.

Melksham Cricket Club was given a £977 grant to provide new pathways, and Melksham Short Mat Bowls Club was awarded a £1,900 grant to buy new equipment.

Melksham Junior Parkrun was awarded £1,500 to set up a new Sunday morning run for youngsters aged 4-14, and Melksham United Church got £750 towards new Church tables.