Kate Punches the Air

This week's Youth Club report.

You find me punching the air this week as we welcomed 20, yes 20, young people to only our second session at the Public Hall last Wednesday night. Maybe it was the weather, maybe it was the particularly discerning introduction of Flumps and Rainbow drops to our sugary repertoire, or maybe it was that beautiful expanse of empty playing field.

Whatever the reason, within the hour we had two teams of 8 (using our new blue bibs bought with funds from Cheshire East) and a brilliant, if somewhat bewildering, game of rounders (thanks, too, for the Rounders set Cheshire East) in full spate.

For those involved the use of the term 'brilliant' might be a smidgeon of overstatement. The game did, after all, meander to a kind of feeble end when one half of a team became distracted by an interesting conversation and wandered off to have it.

Nonetheless, for a marvellous 20 minutes or so the playing field echoed to the sounds of young people having fun just for its own sake. No targets, no agenda, no expectations, and no wagging fingers (well, ok, apart from mine when I came over all teachery at the end and said 'don't make me pick those bibs up').

I'm pretty sure that if you asked any one of the Rounders players if they had just experienced several moments of carefree joy they would back slowly away from you in the direction of an open door or the nearest responsible adult.

However, we, the allegedly responsible ones, like to think we can recognise such a thing when it occurs, and although, offhand, I can't grapple that into a punchy strapline, it absolutely captures what Youth Club stands for.

So, at the risk of sounding like I've just swallowed 'Five Go To Audlem', and am dancing around in a floral pinny with a jug of ginger beer at the ready- we are unabashed about being here, for the most part, to create space for lots of carefree happy times.

Youth Club meets every Wednesday during term time at Audlem Public Hall, 7.15pm- 9pm. Weekly Subs £1, Year 7 and over. No membership or regular commitment necessary, just come along, you will be made very welcome.

PS. Has anyone lost a hoodie after the first session at the Public Hall? I've been looking after it for 2 weeks so let me know if you've missed one.
PPS. Apologies for the quality of the pictures, what can I say? It was all a blur- quite literally.

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