Wick man wants to raise funds for sports nets

Fed up with the barrage of footballs flying over even the tall boundary fence of the Keystone Centre in Eldon Way, Wick, and the volley of abuse from some of the youths if he challenged them, Andy met the management committee chairman Mike Northeast.

But when Mike told him of the centre’s dire financial situation following county council budget cuts, Andy, of Highfield Cottages, took matters into his own hand, and offered to start fund-raising to help out.

He is holding the first of a series of car boot sales at the centre, and is even considering helping to set up a Friends of the Keystone Centre group to help the youths whose behaviour risked making an enemy of Andy.

Money from the boot sales will initially go towards providing extra sports netting to keep out the footballs, and to make the centre’s gates more secure, so that youngsters won’t be able to get into the grounds to play on the basketball and five-a-side court when it is closed.

Andy, 57, who is disabled, said: “We would like to see more funding for the centre, so the kids can be supervised. If it’s open, the kids aren’t going to be climbing over the fence into our gardens for their balls.”

Mike, an Arun and Littlehampton town councillor for the area, said: “When I met Andy, I told him the centre was in dire financial straits because of the savage cuts to the youth budget by West Sussex County Council.

“All our efforts are going into keeping the centre open, as the county council is funding only one session per week now. It always used to be open every night and if we had the funding to do that again, the problems Andy and his neighbours have been having wouldn’t be as bad.

“Andy asked what he could do to help as a neighbour, and so now something positive has come out of what started off as a negative. This really is the Big Society in action.”

To book a space at the sale, price £5, telephone Andy on 01903 734122. The sale runs from 9am-1pm, with cars admitted from 7.30.