THE young people of Okehampton finally have their own youth café and centre following years of hard work. A ceremony to unveil Room 13 in St James Street was held last Wednesday with representatives of the many agencies that supported the initiative. The centre aims to provide a much needed social meeting place for young people in Okehampton — and those aged between 13 and 25 can come along this Saturday afternoon, November 18, to take a look around. The centre offers a one-stop advice shop for young people with organisations Directions, Connexions, Y Smart, the North Devon Youth Offending Team and the Youth Inclusion and Support Panel (YISP) all operating from the office. Philip Yelland, a member of the Outloud! group, who has been involved with the project for a year, said he was very pleased to see the centre open. Philip said young people had been involved at every stage of the decision making, even down to choosing the colour scheme. Commenting on the sunny yellow decor, he said: 'We wanted a nice warm feel that would make people feel welcome.' Fellow Outloud! member Hannah Murray said many young people were excited about the opening of the new facility: 'Lots of people have been asking when it is going to be opening and we had a good response from Okehampton College when we sent out questionnaires asking people what they would like to see provided here.' The youth committee at the centre is still looking for more young people to get involved and take part in meetings to discuss its continuing operation. The centre will offer a place where young people can get information and advice on issues that affect them, such as family breakdown drugs and alcohol, relationships and sexual health. Pippa St John Cooper, West Devon youth services team leader, said: 'Having a lot of the young people's services all under one roof is a huge step forward. Rebecca Garrard, early intervention and assessment worker with the organisation YISP agreed: 'The communication is much better with everyone in the same building. Being sat next to people every day makes the biggest difference.' YISP is a project for eight to 13-year-olds in West Devon who have been identified as at risk of becoming offenders. Pippa said: 'The feedback we have had from young people is that they love it. The café contains a lounge area where young people can meet and relax and a kitchen where they can prepare food. Upstairs a number of the agencies operating from the address have office space and interview rooms. To mark the opening an apple tree was planted in the garden. When the building was refurbished an apple tree believed to be at least 60 years old had to be cut down to make way for a disabled toilet, so a new tree was purchased for the garden. Plans are taking shape to carry out further planting in the garden area, and the Outloud! committee has identified a graffiti wall, which they hope centre users will decorate in a vibrant style. Funding for the scheme is being provided by Okehampton United Charity and Devon County Council. A number of funding partners also worked to secure the premises for community use, including West Devon Borough Council. Students from Year 10 at Okehampton College provided the catering at Room 13's official launch. Okehampton town centre PCSO Joe Raeburn said the police were happy to work with West Devon Youth Service because it recognised the benefits of such a scheme. He said: 'I think this centre will be an advantage for the young people of the town. I hope to be able to drop in most days if I can, to keep in touch with youth issues.' Devon County Councillor for Okehampton Rural Cllr Marsh said she was 'pleased, at long last, that the scheme was up and running.'
