A youth club vanishes for three decades and the quiet cost is easy to miss: fewer safe spaces, fewer friendships, and fewer reasons for young people to feel that a village is theirs too. I’m joined by Lee Cross from Blymhill & Weston, who helps bring a youth club back through the village hall and proves you do not need a flashy budget to create something that matters.
We talk through the real mechanics of running a rural youth club in 2026: how word of mouth still outperforms social media in tight-knit places, how to choose an age range when the “youth” population is small, and what actually happens on the night. Lee shares the practical menu that keeps young people coming back: table tennis, pool, card games, crafts, and flexible indoor activities for dark winter evenings, all stored neatly so the hall can still host weddings, food nights, and community events.
We also get into the behind-the-scenes essentials that every village hall committee worries about: public liability insurance, safeguarding, volunteers, and DBS checks. On funding, Lee explains why keeping it free is non-negotiable, how an initial grant gets the project moving, and how donations and small community fundraisers help keep equipment maintained and the offer sustainable. One of the best surprises is the ripple effect on adults too, as parents stay, chat, and reconnect while the young people have their own space.
If you want more practical ideas for village halls, community halls, and church halls, subscribe, share this with your committee, and leave us a review so more people can find the show. What would make young people choose your hall on a Friday night?
