A YOUTH club in Ilminster is jumping for joy this week after receiving thousands of pounds of funding.

Ilminster Youth Club were awarded £4,390 towards staffing and programme costs for the Tuesday evening senior youth club.

Teenage members of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group allocated the funding with the grants supporting new and existing projects across the county.

Across the county, 16 youth clubs have shared £48k in grants from Somerset County Council to help run popular activity sessions, buy equipment and employ staff.

Cat King, Member of the Youth Parliament for South Somerset, said: “It was great to be involved in making the funding decisions because it gives us, as young people, the power to be able to actively help our communities.

I am impressed by the level of volunteering within youth clubs – we know, after the cuts, how important these people are and how amazing the work they do is.”

Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at Somerset County Council, Cllr Frances Nicholson, added: “We are extremely pleased to be supporting young people in Somerset by helping voluntary groups and communities across the County to provide youth services.

“Involving the Somerset Youth Parliament in the allocation of these funds has been a real success.

“I am extremely impressed by the way these young people are helping to make important decisions, within the set criteria, that affect other young people in the County.

“This funding will support voluntary and community groups to continue with the excellent work they do with our young people.”