Funding support to create job opportunities for young people at Plas Madoc Leisure Centre

A local leisure centre has been awarded funding to help create two weekend job positions for young people to gain work experience.

Splash Community Trust at Plas Madoc Leisure Centre will use the PACT money as part of a project to give teenagers an opportunity to gain work experience and build on life skills in a safe and supportive environment.

The positions will allow individuals to practice skills including customer care, team work, health and safety, manual handling, first aid, life guarding and cleaning.

By offering these roles, the centre aims to strengthen links with the community and to be a valuable resource for all residents.

This scheme has been run in the past with two other local youngsters, Kris and David – who both volunteered at the centre which led to them being offered Saturday jobs.

They became valuable members of the team and helped the centre to engage more positively with young people in the area. Kris welcomed the training opportunities at the centre and attained a fully qualified lifeguard position.

Unfortunately, Kris passed away in 2016. His family valued the opportunity that he was given by the centre, and made a bequest of over £1000 towards offering the same opportunity to more young people from the local area.

This amount has been matched by PACT funding to allow the centre to offer two further positions.

The first two young people to benefit from the new funding are Sian and Shannin, who are now in post. They both recently met PACT trustee, Lloyd FitzHugh, and told him more about the work they will be doing at the centre.

Lloyd said: “I am delighted that this funding is being put to such a positive use in the community and I wish these young people every success in this venture.”

Insp Steve Owens said: “Positive engagement and the offer of structure and opportunity to an otherwise disenfranchised young person reaps significant rewards, both for the individual and the wider community.

“We fully support this project and hope that it encourages more young people to take part and have pride in their community.”

Denise Chadwick, Splash Centre general manager, said: “This is a fantastic scheme which is giving real opportunities to young local people. We are so lucky to have received this support and thank everyone who have contributed to it”.

Stella Matthews, chair of Splash Community Trust added: “We recognise the Centre’s role, both as a leisure centre and a community hub are much needed and valued by the Community, helping young people to achieve that first step onto the employment ladder is important.

“This additional PACT Grant, alongside the bequest from Kris’s family and a further bequest from the family of Lynda Morris, a past director, have made it possible for this scheme to continue.”

The Splash Community Trust (SCT) was formed in 2014, and was established in response to the decision by Wrexham County Borough Council to close Plas Madoc Leisure Centre. It now runs the Leisure Centre so that the local and wider community still have access to these much needed facilities.

North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT) is the community safety charity supports community-led projects that encourage a safer North Wales. PACT champions neighbourhood projects that support the policing and community safety priorities and strive to deliver positive outcomes for all concerned.