A Christian charity is opening a new youth club in Kingsbridge, with a multimedia centre, pool, table tennis and a chill out zone.

Having recently relaunched in the Autumn term with a fresh new look and name, Kingsbridge Youth For Christ - known formerly as Spiritulized YFC - a local Christian youth work charity, are now pioneering a brand new youth club for Kingsbridge teens.

Kingsbridge Youth For Christ have been working alongside churches, schools, the Police and many other community members for over twenty years to reach and support young people, through projects including the Spiritulized Bus, 16-24 Workclub Kingsbridge and the weekly Friday Night Project in Kingsbridge Rest Centre.

They see an average footfall of over two thousand young people across their projects annually.

“@theLounge” will be running out of Kingsbridge Family Church in the recently revamped basement, and will feature a hand-built, state-of-the-art ‘hub’ –a multimedia tech centre with gaming PC, projector screens, lighting system and more.

“There’s been a lot of time and care put into the preparations for @theLounge”, said Kingsbridge Youth For Christ director, Jonny Richmond.

“We want to create an engaging, safe environment for young people to socialise and hang out in, but we also want to create opportunities to speak hope and positivity into their lives about the future, through role modelling and building friendships.”

If gaming isn’t your thing then you can try your hand at pool, table tennis, board games or simply relax in the chill out zone, and enjoy sweets from the tuck shop.

Jonny continued: “The team are great and very excited to begin. We come from various churches and I really wanted to involve young adults in the running of the youth club with whom young people can relate and look up to.

“We’re all Christians – and believe that our faith makes a real difference to our lives, but we don’t force our views onto the young people we come into contact with. We challenge them to understand why they believe what they believe, and share our own stories with them.”

Once a month the ‘@theLounge’ team will put on dinner for its members, before the club. “Food brings people together” said Jonny. “We want to encourage young people to see the value in a healthy, nutritional meal - sitting around the table, chatting with each other and sharing community.

“We want them to be involved in the whole process – preparing, eating together, and most importantly, clearing away after!”

The doors officially open to ‘@theLounge’ on Tuesday, October 30, and it will run every Tuesday evening during term time, from 7pm-8.30pm for school Years 7-11. It will cost £1.50 for entry with a membership card, and £2 without. First session only £1!

Every member of the team has been DBS cleared and received appropriate safe guarding training.

You can find them on Facebook and Instagram under ‘KingsbridgeYouthForChrist’ and you can contact them via the website: kingsbridge.yfc.co.uk, or by sending an email to: [email protected].