Mayor returns to celebrate youth club's switch-on 

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council's Mayor Councillor Brian Briggs under went a transformation just as impressive as the last time he met members of Redcar's Grenfell Youth Club when he opened the club's new IT suite.

For Councillor Briggs was  a special guest at the club's Christmas parties past, complete with festive disguise - a duty he has had to shelve during his busy civic year - and now he's delighted to reintroduce himself in his more formal Mayoral regalia to open the new facility.

The club, has secured a �10,150 grant from Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council's Youth Capital Fund.

Club members, along with youth support worker Nev Myers, joined forces with Emily Myers and Jessica Holmes, pupils at Rye Hills School, to map out the new look, which includes four laptops, two interactive whiteboards and two projectors as well as improved access for wheelchair users.

Nev explained: "The whole group who put together the bid worked extremely hard over a number of weeks and there is a real buzz in the centre about this new equipment."

Terry Colley, the club's Project Development Worker, funded through the Council's Youth Service, added: "This project helps to show the continued hard work that Grenfell as a whole puts into the provision of a quality service for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities."

The Council's Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Education Councillor Ian Jeffrey said: "This is a great example of how the Youth Capital Fund can help improve youth-based facilities.

"The creation of this new IT area will mean that members of all ages and abilities will now have access to IT."

The New Grenfell Club 

Information Line

People now have a brand new way of staying in touch with what's happening at the Club.  You can call our information line on 07884 133560 and listen to the 70 second message. There will be regular updates every 4-6 weeks. Calls are charged at normal mobile rates.  

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Previous Fundraising Event held on 9th May - at the Coatham Memorial Hall. 

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It's In The Bag - Grenfell Club members pack their bags for a weekend break!

Club members had a double celebration in October 2008. They raised a fantastic �950 from a Morrisons supermarket bag pack to help them with their aim of going away with 40 of their friends from the Club. There will also be 15 staff and volunteers going in their own time, to support the members on their weekend break. Club leader Terry Colley said "It is a great achievement for the members to raise that amount of money through their own efforts. They really felt as if they had done a good days work. Many members were there all day and had a meal with Morrisons staff in their own restaurant. We are very proud of the Club, its members and its dedicated staff, but often the people of Redcar do not realise we even exist tucked away, as we are, behind the library. Our president Mark Turnbull says we are Redcar's best kept secret, but we intend to change that." 

The second celebration came today when they received a cheque from the Renton Foundation for a further �1600 towards the holiday. The Club plans to take their weekend break at the end of March next year, to the Jonas Centre in picturesque Wensleydale. They will stay in eight log cabins and have a range of activities and visits to enjoy, both within the centre and in the surrounding countryside. Organiser of the weekend Nick Murray said "we have in the past taken small groups of younger members away on activity weekends which have been externally funded, but we felt the older members were missing out. We all enjoy time away, but people with a learning disability are on very limited income and don't often get the opportunity to have a break. We want them to have not only a weekend away, but also a memorable experience." 

Ged Watts stars in Stranger Hero

TEESSIDE'S seaside film town has a new star in the making.

Ged Watts, a Club member, has never let his disability prevent him living life to the full. And now the Special Olympics footballer is following in the footsteps of James McAvoy, who filmed scenes for Bafta-winning film Atonement on Redcar seafront, by starring in his very own big-screen hit - as the world's first Kung Fu superhero with Down's Syndrome.

Stranger Hero is a surreal take on the concept of overcoming prejudice - complete with martial arts action scenes.

Episode one of the series, which features on YouTube and the North East Movies websites, has been chosen to open this year's London Disability Film Festival, X08, at the British Film Institute.

Caring Gary Wins Volunteer

of the Year

Youth worker Gary Abbott has been rewarded for his dedication to the Grenfell Club. He has been involved with the Club for more than seven years.

Click here to view the Evening Gazette coverage of this story

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Our News In Photos

ABOVE: Members taking part in the recent cycle coding activity at Grenfell. Local Police Officers came and registered cycles for the members at a reduced cost and now all involved have received 'Log Books' for their bikes to ensure they are traceable should they ever be stolen.

ABOVE: The group who performed in front of over 400 people at the December 2007 Multi-Cultural Dance Extravaganza in Eston Sports Academy. They modeled and performed Latin American Styles Dance after receiving months of tuition from a dance tutor. All of the individuals involved received certificates and medals for taking part as well as successfully completing a Getting Connected Unit (accredited awards programme).

ABOVE: Three of our members at Durham Cathedral when we went to watch a MENCAP organisation perform their nativity carol concert in December 2007.

ABOVE: One of the members who became involved in the Drugs and Alcohol Awareness Day (DAAD) in September 2007. He also worked on the Virtual Babies event with Terry and Chris Brown from Loftus Youth Centre.