A derelict wing of a youth club will be restored, thanks to a grant from the county council’s Voluntary Sector Youth Capital (VSYC) fund.

Minchinhampton Youth Club has raised a total of £150,000, including £50,000 from the VSCYC, along with grants from the Youth Opportunities Capital Fund, CHK Charities, Langtree Trust, Howard Tenens Ltd to refurbish the derelict youth club annexe.

The club has 120 members aged 11 to 21 from a range of backgrounds and local schools.

Andrew Brooks, youth worker, said: “This area will be a really valuable resource for the club and we want it to benefit youth club members and the local community. We will use it to ensure every young person using the youth club thrives and reaches their full potential. We are very excited by the potential of this new resource and the young people think it will be really cool.”

There will be a focus in the new area on improving the health of the community with drop-ins for young people on sexual health and mental health, parenting courses and workshops for young people. It could also be used by young people for meetings and presentations.

Cllr Stephen McMillan, Cabinet member for young people’s support, said: “This sounds like a really exciting project for young people and the community in Minchinhampton. I’m pleased the funding will make such a difference in this rural area.”

Cllr Stan Waddington, county councillor for Minchinhampton, said: “The youth club already provides a vital service for young people in the area, but this new annexe will mean they can do even more. This is a rural community and it’s great that young people will be able to access services on their doorsteps rather than travelling to the towns.”

This year Gloucestershire County Council offered a one-off grant (the Voluntary Sector Youth Capital or VSYC fund) for voluntary youth groups across the county to help them build, extend or repair buildings or buy big pieces of equipment.