A CALL has been made for the community to get behind Bridport Youth Centre to help keep it open.

Earlier this year, Dorset County Council withdrew funding from youth centres to concentrate on a new focused service.

Following this, groups across the county set to work trying to keep centres hope.

Yesterday Dorset County Council's Cabinet agreed to transfer the lease to Bridport Youth and Community Centre Trust.

Now though, the trust has said the hard work begins with support needed from the community to keep it open.

The transfer of the lease should allow the trust to continue providing the service.

One of the trustees, Jenny Lawrence, said: "We're trying to get the message across that the centre isn't closing, it's changing. In that change we're trying to keep as much the same as possible.

"The hard work starts now. There's going to be a lot of hard work to get it up and running.

"What we want is as many people as possible to support us. Whether that's financially or people just coming to support us. What we're trying to do is keep the youth centre open."

West Dorset District Councillor Ros Kayes, who is also a trustee said that the target is to raise £30,000 by the end of September.

She said that the centre needs repairs and there will also be caretaking costs to be covers as well as the salary of a co-ordinator.

The trust already has funding for the continuation of Friday Youth Club from Bridport Town Council but it won't take place unless the trust has the resources needed to run the building.

Two of the youth centre's users have also called for people to support the centre to help keep it open.

Michael Bodycombe, one of the young users, said: "It just helps me get out of the house. It just helps me.

"It would be boring without it. Young people would just be ignored. It wouldn't be nice."

Cody Johnson, who is also a member of Bridport Youth Council, said that the centre is important.

He said: "If this place was shut down Bridport would be a riot.

"There would be nowhere for us to go and nothing to do. This place is keeping Bridport safe and keeping us out of trouble."

He also praised the staff at the centre who help the users of the centre.

DCC agreed yesterday that Beaminster Youth Centre building will be retained as a living and learning centre.