Porthi Dre youth club in Caernarfon adds a Monday after-school session

A youth club in Caernarfon that began with a simple idea, give young people somewhere to go and a hot meal when they get there, is growing. Porthi Dre has launched a new after-school programme called Sgran ar ôl Ysgol, which runs every Monday alongside its existing Wednesday sessions.

The new club has been funded through Your Community, Your Choice, the initiative backed by the Police and Crime Commissioner, North Wales Police and the North Wales Police and Community Trust, which uses money seized from criminals to support community projects. Over the past 13 years the scheme has awarded more than £700,000 to 234 projects.

Entry to Porthi Dre is free and includes a hot meal and a choice of indoor and outdoor activities. Recent sessions have included arts and crafts and skateboard decorating, with some young people riding boards they had built the week before. The club is open to all young people in Caernarfon, with a particular focus on the Peblig and Cadnant wards.

"The support that we have received from Your Community, Your Choice has made a huge difference in helping us run our youth club here at Porthi Dre," a spokesperson said. "We planned for the project to go on for 10 weeks and have offered a hot meal to kids aged 11 to 16 and, as the weeks went on, I have seen more and more kids turning up, showing that something like this is needed."

Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin, who visited the club with Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Evans, said it was clear how important it is for young people to have third spaces where they can get a hot meal and meet friends in a welcoming environment.

The club has been building steadily. Its regular Wednesday sessions run from 6pm to 8pm, and earlier funding from the Commissioner's Innovate to Grow scheme was aimed at growing music activities, because traditional lessons can be out of reach for children from lower income homes, as well as setting up classes on online safety and improving the club's facilities.

The club says its aim is to offer a wide variety of activities, giving young people the chance to explore different skills and passions, while also creating work and volunteering opportunities for local people.

To find out more about Porthi Dre and its sessions, visit porthidre.cymru.