A NEW drop-in centre for teens has opened its doors in Soham, funded by local charity, Soham Action 4 Youth.

The centre will be run from Soham library every Monday between 5-7pm and aims to provide a warm place for young people between the ages of 14-18 to come out of the cold for a coffee, biscuit and chat.

There will be two youth workers on hand to provide advice and counselling but the organisers hope that the group can grow and attract members who will turn the session into something bigger by the summer.

Chair of Soham Action 4 Youth, Beth Green, said: “There is very little provision for young people of this age bracket in Soham. We are hoping that this group is just a start of something and will grow and be able to take on other age groups with especially tailored activities for each set of young people.”

The charity is already supporting a new initiative called The Soham Friends Project, the aim of which is to create a safe and supportive youth club which is targeted at young people with additional support needs.

The group is led by young people aged 10-17, supported by parents, carers and professionals and sessions will take place on Friday afternoons from 3-5pm at the Ross Peers Sports Centre.

The two initiatives are among a whole range of projects the charity has got planned and members say they are working hard to provide better youth provision to young people in the town.

Beth added: “We have great plans afoot, we hope to provide some support for a wide range of young people between the ages of 9-18 and are in discussions about a youth club for the younger groups.

“Soham has very little provision outside the already established afterschool clubs for this age bracket but we are working hard to change that.”

To continue, the charity needs volunteers from the town and support from businesses to help manage and run activities. Contact Beth Green who is the chairman on SA4Y@hotmail.co.uk.