“HELP us find a new home,” is the plea by Petersfield’s only youth centre after talks over a new building collapse.
The Kings Arms Youth Centre in the Festival Hall car park is asking land and property owners in Petersfield to contact the centre if they think they can help.
Chairman of the Kings Arms trustees, John Callaghan said: “We would be keen to talk to anyone who can help us find a new home.
“Our current lease ends in August 2018 and so far we haven’t found anywhere else.
“Our landlord is almost certain to renew our lease for another two years, but we would like somewhere with a much longer lease to help access funding. For example a five-year-lease is normally needed to be eligible for lottery funding.”
His plea comes after talks with Petersfield Town Council over a new centre incorporating the council owned pavilion in The Avenue were ended.
Mr Callaghan and fellow trustees said on Monday, May 8, that they no longer wanted to continue discussions over the popular and busy centre moving into it.
He said although they were keen to continue working with the council, the talks were going round in circles and had stalled with very little of substance achieved.
As part of the deal, the pavilion was going to be extended and refurbished to accommodate the centre, but agreement couldn’t be reached over the rent, or who would pay to fit it out.
He added: “We are a charity and hoping that the rent would reflect that.
“If we don’t find a new home, we will take the centre to the schools, it’s a great facility which provides activities, advice, help and information for young people upto the age of 19.”
He said that he hoped the centre and the council could continue to work together to provide a youth centre.
The Kings Arms operations manager Caroline Aeschliman can be contacted on 01730 231292.