Young people in Devizes have come up with their top five ideas for what they want from youth services in the town.

Newly appointed community youth officer for Devizes Sally Willox has spent the last month visiting schools and clubs to find out what young people want from the revamped service.

In July nearly all youth workers in the county were made redundant and youth clubs closed as Wiltshire Council made huge savings.

Mrs Willox said: “We now have a new model and it is quite different to what we had before. It is going to take a while before we have everything in place but I am confident we can make it work.”

But she said it was unlikely that any major new initiatives will be up and running before February.

Top of the wish list from young people is a place where they can just meet up in the warm and dry and with a relaxed atmosphere.

Number two on the list is a drop-in art studio, possibly in an empty shop, and the third idea is for a music studio so young people aged 13 to 18 can learn how to DJ.

In fourth place is a room where young people can play computer games together and in fifth is more options for people with special needs.

She said: “We do have to make sure that any of these ideas is really going to work and safeguarding is in place. The starting point is to get adult volunteers and young people together but it is quite a long process.”

She said that £19,331.09 is available for youth projects from Devizes Area Board between now and March. Any money not used will roll over to next year.

This money can only be claimed for running costs but the area board had other money that was available for grants for capital projects which includes equipment.

Mrs Willox is organising a meeting for December in Devizes to pool ideas.

A Facebook page for Devizes youth services is also about to be set up.

A youth club for young people with special needs has been taken over by Barnardo’s and runs at the old youth club next to Devizes School on Tuesday evenings. For details contact Alice Gay on 07889 645206.