A LONG held dream finally became reality on Saturday with the opening of The Attik, Monmouth Youth Project's youth cafe.
Years of fund-raising have finally paid off with premises above the Chatterbox cafe in Monnow Street opening to provide a meeting place for people aged between 12 and 17.
The purpose of The Attik is to provide young people with a safe meeting place, opportunities for informal education, encouragement and support to design and manage The Attik and an information point for activities and services.
This week, during half term, it is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2-6 pm as a preview, but during school times it is open on Monday from 3-6 pm, on Wednesdays and Thursday from 3.30-9.30 pm and on Fridays from 3.30-10 pm. Mondays are for people aged 12-17, Wednesdays for 12-14 and Thursday and Fridays for 14-17. The fun really starts on Monday with an "official opening" for the young people at 3.30 pm.
The cafe is funded from various sources. The Youth Project Committee raised £25,000 themselves with sponsored events. In addition they were given a grant of £164,000 from the National Lottery Charities Board for three years. They were also given a one year grant of £30,000 from the County Council through the Community Enterprise Development Scheme. The group will also continue to fund raise.
Support for the scheme has come from Monmouthshire Youth Services, the Police, Monmouth Comprehensive School, Haberdashers' Monmouth School for Girls and Monmouth School, Monmouth Town Council and the County Council.
Project Chairman Mr Barry Englefield also paid tribute to the anonymous donor who had provided £10,000 towards the scheme.
He thanked MP Huw Edwards and AM David Davies for their support, as well as Sylvia Gilbert and Rosemary Williams of the Slaughterhouse Project who had set the ball rolling. Without their involvement they would not be where they are today, he said.
Libby Watkins, the Chairman of the National Lotteries Board, was present at the opening and wished The Attik well.
The opening ceremony was performed by County Council Chairman Gerald Robbins. He said that today's young people were the society of tomorrow. If we could provide a good start for them it would augur well for the future.
Co-ordinator Richard Phelps thanked Mr Englefield for all his hard work over the years.
One of the design team behind the new premises, 16-year-old Jo Boyd from HMSG, said when she first walked in to The Attik the while walls and bare floor were daunting, but they had set to work designing and decorating the premises.
The project had helped break down barriers between the different schools and would provide a focal point for the young people of Monmouth, she said.
The ribbon to open the centre was cut by 12-year-old Karis Jones of Monmouth Comprehensive School.
The last word goes to her. "I think it's really good because it keeps young people off the street. If you come in here you can meet people and talk to people if you've got any problems."