The Junction

Andover community steps up to save Young Peoples Drop In

Youth Drop In Centre The Junction has been saved from complete closure thanks to the fundraising efforts of local campaigners.  Following news that the centre had lost of Council funding at the beginning of the year, local people have taken to the streets of town centre to protest at the Council’s decision, and 1,172 people have signed an online petition.

 

The charity behind the youth Drop In, Alabaré say they had been left with no choice but to close the centre, despite helping hundreds of young people every year, and the lack of an alternative support provision, when they received the Council’s decision to withdraw its funding.

 

Local fundraisers have been pulling together to raise funds for Alabaré meaning they can keep part of the service open, but on a much reduced scale and in a residential building.

 

Paula Philp, Service Manager at The Andover Foyer, which The Junction is part of says;

 

We were devastated after we found out that we had lost our funding, and the future looked bleak.  Since then the amount of people and organisations who have come forward to show their support has been amazing and it has been heart-warming for staff and our young people to see that so many people care. Although The Junction Drop In as we know it will still need to close on the 17th March, we are hugely relieved to be able to open The ‘Little’ Junction at the end of the month.  The new service will run from River House, one of Alabaré’s homes in Andover.

 

We will still be offering a counselling service, accredited training courses and a small internet café. We will be able to help homeless Young People through our ‘Help Thru Crisis’ facility giving them a tent and sleeping bag until we can help them get into a home.  All this has been made possible because of all the campaigning and kind donations from people in our community.  Thanks to them, we can still be here to protect and support vulnerable young people in Andover who urgently need our help. We are so grateful to everyone – thank you so so much.

 

Vanessa Bedford, Alabaré’s Young People Care & Support Manager said;

 

I would like to thank my team and our volunteers for all the support they have given and for the work that they are doing to be able to open’ The Little Junction’ later in March. Our local councillors have been very supportive in both moral support and financial support to move to our new venue.

 

The ‘Little’ Junction will be open from 10am to 5pm Monday – Friday, offering support for young people aged 13-18.

For more information about services available at the centre visit www.alabare.co.uk or to make a donation to the Centre please visit http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-the-junction-andover and help secure the future of ‘The Little Junction’.


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