CRABBS Cross and Astwood Bank youngsters may soon get a £2,000 cash boost for facilities with money left over following the closure of an Astwood Bank club.

At a Children and Young People's Policy and Advisory Panel in June, Councillor Tom Wareing questioned Bridget Cooper, the county's principal youth officer, about the lack of provision in the two areas.

He has now received a letter from the officer stating one of the conditions of the closure of Ridgeway Youth Club in Astwood Bank was that the assets should be placed in Redditch Youth Committee funds for the benefit for young people in this area of the town.

Until now, no organisation has requested any of these assets, which amount to about £2,550.

The county council has said it is going to consider ways of granting the money to an organisation in the area, which would then be given the task of distributing the money for the benefit of youngsters.

Mr Wareing said: "I am very worried about the lack of provision in these areas.

"When the youth facility in Astwood Bank was closed I kicked up a fuss because it left young people with nothing to do and any organisation which did exist was poorly funded.

"Hopefully this money, combined with money from the Neighbourhood Group Budget will go some way to boosting the organisations which do exist for young people.

"At the moment they are having to get by on almost non-existent budgets."

Two organisations Mr Wareing believes would benefit from such funds are the Astwood Bank Christian Fellowship youth group and the children's football coaching sessions, organised by Redditch Pc Richard Waterhouse.