Nuneaton young bikers' club plea...

[dutchman]

Heartbroken young bikers fear the brakes will be put on their beloved club if a community centre in Nuneaton is closed.



The future of the popular Piston Ring Youth Motor Cycle Club is in jeopardy as their home, the Wembrook Youth and Community Centre, could be axed.

For more than 30 years, the club has given nine to 16-year-old youngsters the chance to train to ride bikes, as well as become part of a super successful demonstration team.

But, as part of cost-cutting moves, Warwickshire County Council could close the centre where the young club members train if no-one steps in to manage it.

"If we can't find anywhere else and we cant use the centre then we would not be able to run any more, it is as simple as that," said Neil Ashby, one of the volunteers who runs the club.

He said the threat from Shire Hall has hit the young riders hard: "The kids love coming to the club," he said.

"We are the only club like it in the area," he said.

Josh Cooper, one of the riders, appealed to county council bosses, saying: "Please can you not shut down the community centre that Piston Rings practice on. Please, please because it is where will we practice and we love it here and if you take it away from us it will break are hearts, so can you think about it. Please look in to your hearts and think about the people you will upset."

The club meets every Tuesday and Friday night at the centre, which is based within George Eliot School off Raveloe drive.

Between 30 and 35 young people from Nuneaton, Bedworth and as far afield as Wolverhampton are members of the team.

"We train preparation to take the display teams to events across the country," MrAshby said.

"Without the facilities, we would not be able to run any more."

Mr Ashby added that `virtually impossible' to find themselves a new home: "The bikes are not noisy but a lot of places do not want motorbikes training there," he said.

"We need to have toilet facilities, and a big enough play area to practice the displays on, as well as train."

He said that with no government funding, the club has to raise its own funds pays to use the centre, and even secured thousands of pounds worth of money to modernise the building just under a year ago.

"We got £42,000 from the lottery and the whole centre was revamped less than a year ago," he said.

"The centre has been our home for more than 30 years and without it, we have no-where to go."

A `Save our Centre' campaign has been started, spearheaded the young members themselves Mr Ashby said: "We have started a petition and some of the members are planning are taking it into Nuneaton town centre to collect as many signatures as possible."