A NEW youth centre providing state-of-the-art facilities for children in the Newtown area of Great Yarmouth has moved a step closer.Plans for the Newtown Youth Centre, in Jellicoe Road, have been given a boost after the Norfolk Youth Fund agreed to pay �32,000 towards the centre which is set to provide facilities for all the groups.

A NEW youth centre providing state-of-the-art facilities for children in the Newtown area of Great Yarmouth has moved a step closer.

Plans for the Newtown Youth Centre, in Jellicoe Road, have been given a boost after the Norfolk Youth Fund agreed to pay �32,000 towards the centre which is set to provide facilities for all the groups. A cheque for the sum was given to youth centre representatives on Monday.

Newly-elected county councillor Tom Garrod was present for the presentation, honouring his election pledge to represent the younger section of the community on the council.

He was joined by his uncle, former Yarmouth Mayor Paul Garrod and borough councillor Mike Taylor.

Insp Nick Russell, of North Yarmouth Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), also attended and the police and councillors joined together to form a football team to take on a team of youngsters involved with the youth centre. Sadly for the police team, they lost the game 2-0.

Carl Harding, the centre's secretary, said: “Obviously we are delighted with the fund donation. Any donations are accepted across the board. I think it will take the youth club to the next level and it is certainly something that we are interested in Newtown because youngsters in the area have gone without a youth centre for so long.”

The funding means the centre committee is now just over halfway towards meeting its target of raising �80,000 for the new facility, which will boast a general function room, computer room, cookery room, music room and adult learning room.

Mr Harding added he hoped to open the centre up to people with learning difficulties, but said anybody would be welcome to drop in. The facility will be built on a basketball court and will measure 60ft by 45ft, making it considerably bigger than the current centre which needs modernising

A planning application for the centre is set to be submitted in the spring and Mr Harding hoped to have it up-and-running by December, though more realistically he thought it would be ready by next spring.