NINE months after Devizes Youth Centre held a wake to mark its closure the club is to re-open run by volunteers.

Devizes along with youth centres al over the county closed last year after Wiltshire Council slashed £250,000 from its youth service budget and reduced the number of youth workers from 144 in largely part-time posts to 25 full-time roles.

Now Sally Willox, who took on the role as community youth officer for Devizes, is delighted the youth club will re-open next Wednesday (May 6) and be open every Wednesday evening between 6.30pm and 9pm for youngsters aged from 13 to 19. It will cost 50p per session.

She said: "It has taken a lot of work to get to this stage and I am very pleased that we are now in a position to open the club. I will be helping at the sessions for the first weeks but we are also looking for more volunteers."

Young people have had an input into what they want to do at the club and for the first weeks this will include art workshops so members can take part in a Magna Carta celebration at Salisbury Cathedral on June 15.

The teenagers also said they wanted someone to be on hand to give advice about college courses, university applications and job possibilities. Mrs Willox said: "They thought this sort of advice was very important so we will have someone at every session who they can speak to."

Traditional youth club activities such as table tennis, pool and listening to music will also be available. Mrs Willox said: "A lot of them said they just want a place they can go and socialise."

Among those who have signed up to volunteers are husband and wife Steve and Caroline McKeown and youth worker apprentice Jack Oatley, 18. Lucy Owen-Baines, 18, who was a member of the old Devizes club, has worked with the steering group to get the project going.

Mrs Willox said: "I am feeling very positive this will work. We have been distributing post cards to the schools to let students know what is happening and posters are going up. I am hoping we will get between 20 and 30 people turning up at the beginning and then it might grow from there.

"But we will need at least three volunteers for each session so I hope we can attract some more people to help."

Anyone who wants to volunteer can contact her on (01380) 826516.