Columnist Lauren Abbott reminisces about evenings spent at the youth club and wonders where they've all gone...

'What are your kids doing next week, anyone with a good idea?' was the impassioned plea that dropped into a school WhatsApp group as term ended.

With children off for seven days before Christmas, jobs piling up, and the weather looking wet this under-pressure parent - with children not old enough to be left to their own devices but mature enough to shun limited holiday club options of crafts and games - was struggling.

What followed wasn't a stream of suggestions to entice the tweens but instead reminiscing about what ever happened to good old fashioned youth clubs?

At around 11, I spent many an hour at one a few streets from home.

Run from a church hall, supported by council funds and our monthly cheap-as-chips membership, it opened at weekends and school holidays for kids nine to 14 to 'hang out'.

Despite its sacred home, religion didn't come into it, but volunteers (often including the vicar) offered a spectacular tuck shop with pocket-money prices, a table tennis and pool table, donated games console, old TV and chairs for sitting around. We loved it.

'A perception that young people, with their mobile phones and social media, are tricky beings to responsibly police without a raft of school-like behaviour policies has also perhaps not helped keep such schemes open to the masses...'

At Christmas was a disco where members could each bring one non-youth club friend - but apart from that it was a simple space where children hurtling towards their teens could find their friends, some independence and a can of cherry Coke.

I've no doubt time and money is behind the demise of clubs like it. A perception that young people, with their mobile phones and social media, are tricky beings to responsibly police without a raft of school-like behaviour policies has also perhaps not helped keep such schemes open to the masses.

A recent YMCA report revealed youth services have suffered a 70% cut – or almost £1bn – in less than 10 years. And with retirement age edging back and more women, particularly mothers, working full time everyone has less time to volunteer to support such services.

Not that I'm sure it should be down to volunteers. A 2019 report by MPs, which said most English councils had slashed funding by 40% since 2016, ruled that youth club closures put young people at greater risk of violence and trouble.

If that isn't motivation - or justification even - for better investment I'm not sure what is.

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