A call to create a youth club in the West End by young men who missed out on having such a facility since the last club closed seven years ago has received support from MPs and former football star Clyde Best.

Since the old community youth club in Sandys closed in 1999 it has left young people without a constructive and positive outlet for their time and energy and led to them being tempted instead into crime and drugs.

A small band of like-minded young men guided by Gerald Fubler who ran the former club has started a campaign to recreate what has been lost. They have formed the West End Youth Community Club committee with the aim of getting a building to host a youth club.

Around 60 people turned up for a public meeting to discuss the idea, with a lot of support being pledged by members of the community and three MPs, two from the PLP and one from the UBP, who attended the gathering at the AME Church Allen Temple in Sound View Road, Sandys.

"The committee gave a presentation and Miss Teen Bermuda Islands Selita Crockwell spoke and said she would do what she could. Then we opened it to the floor. The MPs Michael Scott, Dennis Lister and Jon Brunson said their part and took a stand. They will do what they can to help us get a building," said Makai Dickerson, chairman of the West End Youth Community Club.

"Our next move is to get jobs for the young people and we are going to talk to the Ministers next. We also want to take these meetings to each of the parishes."

The old youth club in Sandys was at the Daniel's Head between 1994 and 1999. It closed and has now been replaced by the Nine Beaches resort.

The West End Youth Community Club committee would like to see a new club established, and for all Bermuda's parishes to have a youth community club.

Enthused by the turnout at the meeting and the energy and support it generated, Mr. Dickerson said: "We heard a lot of positive things and we showed the Government that we are not working against them, we want to work with them and with the communities."

He said he believed the MPs who had offered support appeared to be "real with it" and that was encouraging.

One of the MPs who attended, former Telecommunications Minister Michael Scott, said: "This is a committed cadre of young men and their mandate is to reach other youth and be responsive to the plea that is heard over and over that there is nothing for youth to do. Makai called for purpose facilitated youth centres staffed by instructors for those who want to learn; with positive equipment, to entertain teach and divert Youth into positive activity."

Mr. Scott said he was impressed with the WEYCC committee and their ideas to combat the negativity and malaise affecting many of the Island's young people and he added: "I would be proud to continue to collaborate with their team and help structure a strategic plan."

UBP Shadow Sports Minister Mr. Brunson said the evening had shown him a group of "young, black males trying to make a difference in young people in Bermuda."

He said: "You have Gerald Fubler who has been working with these young guys so they make good decisions and become a catalyst amongst their peers to keep them focused on positive things and good education.

"There are too many negative elements out there and they instead want a place where they can create a positive environment where the young and seniors can hang out. They say the 'village' has been fragmented and they want to bring it back together again."

Mr. Bunson said as a father-of-two he had a vested interest in seeing positive opportunities for young people and he was also impressed by Bermuda's former English League footballer Clyde Best's idea to the meeting for a "YMCA-type" solution.

Some of those in the audience ran their own businesses and questioned how they could be expected to hire young men who were either strung out on drugs or could only put in half-a-day's work. One solution floated is for "hustle truck" that would pick up willing workers prepared to put in a few hours work for pay and from that hopefully lead them into more structured and full-time jobs.

"What these guys are trying to do should be applauded. A lot of the time people wait for something to happen but these people are bringing it to us. Makai is very persistent and I hope people and society support what they are trying to do. It is something that needs to be non-political, bi-partisan and across the board because we are all in this together," said Mr. Brunson.

The meeting at the church concluded with entertainment from the K&K Gombey group.