Gatehouse of Fleet YMCA Drop In Centre celebrated its 25th anniversary on Saturday.
The group was formed in 1996 after young people and their parents were left outraged when some locals branded them troublemakers who engaged in antisocial behaviour.
To celebrate their quarter of a century, they held a celebratory afternoon tea at the Mill on the Fleet.
Invited guests included the Lord Lieutenant of the Stewartry Lord Sinclair, MSPs and councillors and Kerry Reilly, the chief executive of YMCA Scotland and the vice chairman of the YMCA National Assembly.
Former chairman of the centre’s committee Josephine Cameron said: “We celebrated the efforts made by so many local people to ensure that the Gatehouse of Fleet YMCA Drop In Centre was set up in a self-sustaining way and thank all those who continue to support it with donations of time and money.
“We also commemorated all the achievements of the young people during the last quarter century. In the early years, many trips were organised beyond Gatehouse. Five young people attended the YMCA Europe 2008 meeting in Prague, another group took a trip to see the sights of London and another fund raised and organised themselves on a trip to Rome.
“Overnight trips to Galloway Sailing Centre at Loch Ken, YMCA Wiston Lodge and Aviemore were also popular. Two of our young people also volunteered to represent YMCA Scotland on the Scottish Youth Parliament.”
The Drop In began life at the Murray Arms in Gatehouse of Fleet. An award of £189,000 from the National Lottery then allowed the group to buy and refurbish a derelict workshop in Digby Street with state-of-the-art facilities and fund a youth work manager for three years. The Drop In also became affiliated to YMCA Scotland and BBC Children in Need awarded a further £10,000 with the new facility officially opened in 2002 by then Lord Lieutenant of the Stewartry Sir Norman Arthur.
Some parents on the committee also had the idea of opening a charity shop in the High Street to help with ongoing costs. It proved an instant success and in 2006 a successful application to the Scottish Government Seedcorn Fund allowed the purchase of the building.
Current chairman Lesley Richmond said: “The continued success of this project over the past 25 years has only been possible because of the on-going commitment and support of local residents, young people, businesses, visitors and funding organisations, most recently D&G Youthwork 10,000 Voices, The Holywood Trust and the Murray Usher Foundation which have sustained the Gatehouse of Fleet YMCA Drop In Centre as a popular and vibrant venue for the young people in Gatehouse of Fleet.”
