Ixworth Youth Junction Gets £2,000 From Ixworth Stores

Ixworth Youth Junction, the village’s Thursday evening youth club, has been given £2,000 after Ixworth Stores on High Street put its name forward for a community award.

The money comes from the Heart of the Community Awards funding round run by Making a Difference Locally, the charity of Co-op Wholesale, which supplies the shop. The club says it will spread the money across its programme of activities over the next six months.

Who the club is for

The club meets at Ixworth Village Hall every Thursday evening for young people aged 11 to 16. According to the announcement, it has more than 40 members and usually sees between 20 and 30 of them at each session.

The evenings cover pool, air hockey, table tennis, karaoke, arts and crafts, sport, cooking and cultural celebrations. The club also runs trips: recent ones have gone to Chessington World of Adventures and Pleasurewood Hills, the theme park near Lowestoft. The club aims those outings at young people who would otherwise struggle to get to them because of transport and cost, which it describes as a particular problem for families in rural areas.

What the club said

Mike Jones, a trustee of Ixworth Youth Junction, said: “We are absolutely delighted that Ixworth Youth Junction has been selected as a winner of the Heart of the Community Awards Funding Round. We would like to pass on our sincere thanks to Falgun Odedara at Ixworth Stores for nominating us and to the judges at Making a Difference Locally for recognising the work we are doing with young people in our community.

“The £2,000 donation will make a real difference and allow us to spread the benefit of the funding across our programme of activities over the next six months. We are committed to providing a safe, welcoming and supportive environment where young people can have fun, develop new skills, build confidence and access opportunities they might otherwise miss. We are incredibly grateful for this support.”

Why the shop nominated it

Falgun Odedara, who owns Ixworth Stores, chose the club as the shop’s nominee, describing it as a very worthwhile local not-for-profit organisation. The shop owner said: “Ixworth Youth Junction provides an invaluable service for young people in our community. The volunteers and trustees work tirelessly to create a safe place where young people can meet friends, learn new skills and have positive experiences. I am delighted that their work has been recognised through a Heart of the Community Award and I’m proud that Ixworth Stores could nominate them for this funding.”

Where the money comes from

Making a Difference Locally was set up in 2008. It raises its money from sales of Co-op brand products in the independent shops that Co-op Wholesale supplies, and gives it back to causes near those shops, nominated by the shop owners.

The charity said: “Access to safe and inclusive youth provision is essential to the wellbeing and development of young people, particularly in rural communities where opportunities can be more limited. Clubs such as Ixworth Youth Junction help young people build confidence, form positive social connections and experience activities they might not otherwise have access to. We’re pleased that this funding will support the continued delivery of such an important community resource.”

What it means for you

If you have a child aged 11 to 16 in or around Ixworth, the club runs every Thursday evening at Ixworth Village Hall, and the club says the award will go on its activities over the next six months. For the latest on what is happening across the area for young people over the October break, see our half term guide.

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