A Wimbledon youth club has been given a lifeline after receiving fresh funding from a local housing association.

UpTown has delivered services for 8 to 16 year olds from disadvantaged backgrounds in Wimbledon, Mitcham and Lavender Ward for over 20 years.

Their fantastic work, which involves helping young people to make better life choices and care about the community they live in, has seen a dramatic cut in anti-social behaviour incidents.

They’ve also helped many off a troubled path and on to success at university.

But the future looked bleak after recent government funding cuts threatened their service and they were forced to make cuts to their activities.

Now Viridian Housing, an association with over 200 properties in Merton, has stepped in with £5,000 donation after hearing about how many of their own young residents had benefited from Uptown’s support.

Mary Whitfield, Head of Social Impact at Viridian, said: “When we heard about Uptown’s situation we paid them a visit and we were so impressed with all the positive work they do with young people in the borough – including our own residents.

“They have an ethos of showing how important it is to care for your community, and that’s something we share as a housing association.”

The club runs three nights a week at High Path Community Centre in South Wimbledon.

There are a whole host of activities on offer - including music to dance, drama and sports. Young members can also get homework support with the use of quiet room, computers and printers.

Workshops teach vital life skills like budgeting, health, fitness, first aid and cooking. Topics like drugs, alcohol abuse, law and politics, bullying and domestic violence are addressed in group discussions.

Young people with learning difficulties are also encouraged to attend and participate, develop their social skills and make new friends.

Joan Simms, Founder and Director of Uptown, added: “We get young people involved in positive activities which get them thinking about their community and caring about where they live.

“Some young people who come to us are going down the wrong path. They can be caught up in issues like anti-social behaviour, gangs and drugs but we help and support them as well as their families.

“We have a really positive impact and can really help them change their lives for the better. Some have gone off to university as a result; that’s really satisfying to see.

“Our work is so important – it doesn’t just help young people, it helps the community as a whole too.

“That’s why it’s so important for us to keep going - but we need support to do this. We’re very grateful for Viridian’s help.”

Submitted by Hannah Mouland