High Sheriff’s Rescheduled Visit to Square Youth Cafe

The High Sheriff of East Sussex, Jane King, will make a special visit to the Square Youth Cafe tomorrow [Tuesday 13th December] – rescheduled from 27th October – to find out more about the activities and opportunities Hailsham Youth Service is providing – and the impact of this work on the local community.

“We are delighted to be able to meet the High Sheriff and show her around the Square Youth Cafe facility,” said Andy Joyes, Youth Service Manager. “We’ll take this special opportunity to welcome her interest in the youth service’s ongoing projects, particularly at the Square Youth Cafe and the work we do with the young people in Hailsham and surrounding areas.”

“Hopefully, the High Sheriff will learn a great deal about Hailsham Youth Service as a town, acquire a good understanding of how we are continually developing, and find out about our plans for improving services even more in the future.”

Town Mayor Cllr Paul Holbrook, who will be in attendance at the Square Youth Cafe when the High Sheriff visits, commented: “We are pleased Mrs King has taken an interest in the youth service provision the Town Council provides by visiting the centre, celebrating our local achievements and meeting the young people who have benefited from this service.”

“I’m extremely grateful to our team at Hailsham Youth Service for continually providing young people with ample activities in a safe environment to help keep them occupied when not at school, and for the dedication and enthusiasm of staff from the outset. For 22 years, the Service has improved the quality of life for local young people in the town and surrounding rural villages. Such benefits have been achieved through the integrated provision of recreation, opportunities for personal and social development, information and advice.”

Launching in 1999 with the opening of the Service’s flagship facility – the Square Youth Café in Market Square, the service has since set up further facilities including the Hellingly Youth Hub,  Monday Youth Hub, Eastside Youth Hub and Safehub.  Add to this, the wide range of recreational activities offered via the Friday Night Project and strong links forged over the years with other agencies, including Hailsham Community College, Knockhatch, Freedom Leisure and Sussex Police.”

Cllr Holbrook added: “The development of the Town Council’s youth projects since its launch over twenty years ago proves that there are ample opportunities for developing partnerships with other agencies to provide innovative work with individuals or groups of young people.”

“It has been a pleasure to work with Youth Service Manager Andy Joyes and his team during my long tenure as a town councillor – the team’s positive attitude and obvious enjoyment in working with young people has ensured that Hailsham Youth Service has gone from strength to strength and continues to do so, even during the recent pandemic.”

“It is a pleasure and a privilege to have the High Sheriff visiting the Square Youth Cafe as part of her programme of stops to towns across the county, and I am confident she will be impressed by everything she has to see and hear about the work of Hailsham Youth Service.”

For further information on Hailsham Youth Service, email info@hailshamyouthservice.org.