THE clean-up operation has begun at the former Lyme Regis Club for Young People in preparation for the open day in January.

The Church Street building will be open to the public on Saturday, January 15 for people to see inside and to suggest ideas for future uses.

Lyme Regis Development Trust bought the building recently and will soon begin the £300,000 renovation of the venue.

A team of around 10 volunteers, made up of people from the development trust and from the club’s Action and Fundraising groups, have set to work to get the building ready for the public.

Project leader Fran Williams said: “It’s not too bad, it’s more in the back yard where they have been clearing up the rubbish and dismantling a shed.

“We are really going for it, and seeing what’s working and what isn’t in preparation for the open day.”

Mrs Williams is grateful to all the volunteers for their help.

“They are the important grass roots and they are making this happen,” she said.

The open day, from 9am to 6pm, is a chance for the public to see inside the building before it is renovated and re-opened as a youth club, hopefully in 2011.

Mrs Williams said: “The open day is very much a consultation exercise for people to come and have a look, give their ideas, get a feeling of the place, and think about how we can make it an exciting venture for the future.”

Suggestions for the club’s new name have been pouring in and the public will be asked to choose their favourite from a shortlist at the open day.

Mrs Williams said: “We want it to be a name that suggests more than just a youth club. It isn’t just for young people to think of a name, we want everyone to make suggestions. We are also encouraging ideas from people from the areas surrounding Lyme Regis.”

The suggestions have so far come from young people at InSPARation Youth Café, the Woodroffe School, the primary schools pyramid, and from residents.

They include: The Works, The Engine Room, SOUND Place, LYM (Lyme Youth Meet), The Church Street Youth Club, Pebbles, Twenty Ten, The Success Centre, The Chill Out Zone, Wo-Ba-La, Insperoonies, and The Wave.

There was a suggestion that it should also be called InSPARation, and the tongue-in-cheek suggestion of The Three Mugs.

Mrs Williams said: “I think there’s some potential among them.”

Project leaders have started to meet with young people to begin consultation and anyone interested in being involved should contact Fran Williams on 07968 177663.