DEEPING YOUTH GROUP
DYG celebrates 50 golden years! After the new Deeping St James Primary School had opened in Hereward Way the old Cross School fell into disuse. In a bold move Kesteven County Council vowed to spend £2,500 on decorating and improving the school to provide the first Youth Centre for the area in a building which would also provide space for a pre-nursery school play group and a teachers’ centre. Details of the youth centre were slow to come to fruition but the Education Committee eventually decided to have a part-time paid youth leader to run the centre. The school buildings were owned by Deeping St James United Charities and negotiations took place between the two bodies to allow for the conversion. Sharon and Frank Wright, with their helper Jenny, were thought to be the first paid Youth Workers at the newly opened Youth Club. The Old Cross School shared a caretaker, Mr Askew, with the new Primary School. With little else to do locally the young people of the Deepings thronged to their new venue. Members included; Gary Webb, Steve Pickett, Barry Griffiths, Nigel Jones, Alan and Judith Avison, Ann Berry, Elaine Camm, Diane Barton, Louise Fisher, Valerie Orton, Terry Griffiths, Beverley Proctor, Nick Pocklington ,David Wilson, Glyn Flatters, John Robinson Paul Geeves, Tommy Stevenson, Julie Currie, ,Andy Currie, ,Kevin Leighton, Gail Laughton, Sheila Scofield, Susan Miller, Susan Lyon, Gail Chetleborough, Sonnie Elliot. Young people travelled from West Deeping, Langtoft, Baston, Bourne and Stamford. 30
Adrian Fox remembers, ‘A lot of time was spent on the river in canoes, and there were trips to Nottingham Ice Rink and once month there was a disco. Memorably we had an old car, an Austin A35, and Mr Askew was going to show Terry Griffiths and I how to repair it. Before that could happen I started it up and filled it with girls driving round and round on the play area showing off! And promptly drove it straight through Mr Saunders’ wall which had caravans his side. You can still see where the stone wall was repaired!’ During the early 80s, when current Deeping St James United Charities Trustees Carol Precey and Peter Ward were volunteers, there was an additional Youth Club at Market Deeping and Langtoft and a full-time qualified Youth Worker oversaw all three clubs. There were also Clubs at Bourne and Spalding and regularly a mini bus was hired (Peter Ward at the wheel) for members to visit for sports and entertainment. Competitive indoor inter-club hockey games were popular. With the age range extending to
