AN AFTER-SCHOOL youth club launched a year ago to give younger children in Didcot somewhere to meet is facing closure, because of low attendances.

Didcot’s Under-13 Youth Club opened in January last year, after parents complained there was nowhere for 10 to 12-year-olds to go after school, following the closure of the Buddy Club, which had run in the town for 20 years.

The calls for a new venture were answered by town councillor Leslie Hood, who raised £12,000 in grants to launch the new club.

For the first six months, it attracted between 60 and 90 children to the Vibe youth centre on Wednesdays from 4pm, for 90 minutes of sport, arts and craft activities, and special events.

But since resuming last September, after the summer holidays, only a handful of children have been going to the sessions, which cost 50p.

Just seven children turned up for last week’s session.

Mrs Hood said: “We had lots of children until July and they were all perfectly happy.

“When they went up to senior school in September, we didn’t have a new lot of younger children coming in.

“We have tried to advertise the club around schools and bring in more younger children, but without success.”

She added: “It was really hard work to set it up.

“Parents were complaining that by the time children reached 13 and were covered by the youth service, they were already getting into trouble.

“When we finally got it up and running, it was proving really popular.”

Mrs Hood hired five staff each week to run activities for the children.

“The club ran football, table-tennis, pool, games and a tuck bar, as well putting on a circus workshop last year.

Now she has warned it faces permanent closure at the end of the school year in July unless more children attend.

She said: “I can’t go out for more funding for the premises with just six children a week.

"When the money runs out, that will be it. If the club isn’t supported, it will close.”

One of the regular attenders is 12-year-old Jonah Bennie, who said: “I would like to see more people come to play. We all have a good time when we come here.

“We ask people to come but they forget.”

Fellow St Birinus School pupil James Peacock, 13, added: “The centre used to be packed. There used to be lots of people playing football, basketball and table tennis.”