A DESPERATE plea has been made by teenagers in Innerleithen after the town’s Youth Club has been made homeless - for the SECOND time in a year.

The ill-fated club has already been rocked with the mass resignation of Management Committee members at the end of last year.

And in February the older section of the club - for S2s to S6s - folded due to insufficient adults willing to volunteer.

The 30 to 40 who attend the junior section have been told they will also be left on the street as a buyer had been found for the Church of Scotland hall on Leithen Road.

Chloe Downs enjoyed three years going to Innerleithen Youth Club each week.

And the 18-year-old has spent a further two years volunteering as a helper with the junior section.

Chloe told the Peeblesshire News: “We have been told that we have to get out and there’s no new venue for us to go to.

“It was bad enough when they stopped the S2 to S6 youth club - we thought people would come back and help and we’d get it started again - but this looks like it could be the end for both youth clubs.

“The Youth Club is popular in Innerleithen and if it finishes there will be nowhere for the children to go.” Following divides at the end of last year within the Youth Club’s committee almost every member and office holder resigned.

Over the past few months it has operated with just two members - Brian McCrow and Catherine Maxwell Stuart - and support from local authority youth worker, Kerry Hunter.

Bosco Santimano from Peebles-based social enterprise You Can Cook, and his staff, have also chipped in their time to keep the service going over the past couple of months. He said: “We have been doing cooking classes in Innerleithen and we have been getting 100 per cent attendance - we built up a good relationship with the youths of Innerleithen.

“If it hadn’t been for my staff I don’t think the Youth Club would have continued after December when the committee resigned.

“Because I run You Can Cook I declined becoming a Youth Club committee member as there would have been a conflict of interests - that doesn’t mean I want it to close, though. These youths need somewhere to go and something to do. They rightly feel let down.” The Peeblesshire News highlighted the plight of Innerleithen Youth Club last year when it was moved from its former Leithen Workshops home.

The Church stepped in with a temporary solution - but this will end this week.

Local councillor Gavin Logan is urging the town to get behind its youth club. He said: “It is important that we can offer the children of Innerleithen somewhere to go.

“We are in an unfortunate position and we, the council and the community, need to come up with something quickly.” We spoke to Scottish Borders Council’s Community Learning and Development Service - and they have also vowed to find an alternative venue.

A spokesman said: “The church has taken the decision to sell the premises and as a result the youth club have had their lease terminated and been informed that they can no longer use the building.

“We are currently supporting Innerleithen Youth Club to identify an alternative venue within Innerleithen due to this unfortunate situation which has arisen as a result of the decision of the church to sell the hall.

“The council is fully committed to continuing support to the Management Committee of Innerleithen Youth Club by working alongside them and the young people who attend the club to ensure continued service in a suitable venue.”