New youth club base in mobile classrooms

Two £250,000 mobile classrooms will help save a Black Country youth club which feared being left homeless by the redevelopment of a school to form a new academy.

Willingsworth Youth Club's base is to be flattened to make way for Tipton's RSA Academy. Youngsters have been campaigning for a new venue to meet in, and now two classrooms are to be moved to the Bilston Road site fromTipton Green Junior School. The club regularly attracts 50 youngsters a week and boasts its own lounge, pool tables, and a hair and beauty studio.

The junior school in Park Lane West is set to be completely rebuilt in an £8m project and two mobile classrooms currently being used are expected to be free by March.

Sandwell Council's education chief, Councillor Ian Jones, said one of the 40ft by 30ft temporary buildings was worth about £250,000 fully fitted out, and would cost about £80,000 to transfer and connect up to services.

He said the council had retained land next to the site, which it leases to the RSA Academy, earmarked for a new primary school if funding becomes available in future. In the interim, it could be used to house the youth club.

"We've got a couple of these classrooms going spare so we can give back almost the size of space which they are losing."

"We would probably be able to do that for about £80,000," Councillor Jones said.

"We are using our money more wisely to make sure we can still retain a youth facility on the RSA site, so that is what we are exploring, provided that we can get agreement with the school.

"It would be good news for Tipton and the young people in that area."

Councillor Jones added: "We've recognised that there is a need for that facility to continue because it is one of the most successful we've got."