Kingsteignton's thriving youth club has been given a secure future after the town council agreed to become its trustee and acquire the freehold of the Broadway Road premises.

The move means the Broadway Road building has to be retained as a community asset and not developed for commercial gain.

The community got its first youth club in l968 when the St Michael's Youth Fellowship met in the church hall, Chudleigh Road.

Soon after its formation, the Conservative Club in Broadway Road came up for sale and by securing loans to cover the £300 cost the move was made.

But by 1996 the building had become decrepit and a replacement built at a cost of more than £340,000.

Much of the money came from an Ugbrooke Environmental grant using landfill tax credits.

Today, some 200 youngsters use the facilities for both pleasure and ­education, activities made possible by the £700,000 that has been raised through sources including the National Lottery and European funding as well as national charities and local authorities.

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