A YOUTH club, set up to tackle anti-social behaviour is proving popular with youngsters in Atherton.

So much so that the organisers are to officially open the Hag Fold Youth CAF (community and friendship) on Thursday, February 20, with live music from a Lowton band and food to celebrate the influence it has had since opening on January 9.

Held every Thursday night at Dorset Road Community Centre from 7pm until 9pm, the venture is funded by the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) and Wigan and Leigh Housing.

Brian Seddon, who along with PCSO Maria Hulme was instrumental in setting up the Youth CAF and securing funding for it, is thrilled with its progress.

“The numbers are on the up and more than that we are attracting the kind of people we wanted to that might otherwise be out causing problems and they are surprisingly well behaved,” Brian said.

“I’m chuffed to bits it is going so well and the police are too. It is something different for the young people that otherwise would have nothing to do and we are hoping to continue expanding it.

“We are talking with the Cadence Cafe in Tyldesley that runs music workshops every week about them sending over a guitarist or a drummer to run classes here once a month which would be good.

“One of the kids who is 12 years old has got really into DJing, so much so that we are going to get him to DJ from the top of the open top bus that comes from Manchester Motor Museum at this year’s Atherton Carnival.”

The Youth CAF is free, as is the opening and all are welcome to come along a find out more.