On a wet Thursday afternoon on 5 February, the chair of Rother District Council, Councillor Andrew Mier (Lib Dem), and Rye and Winchelsea’s ward councillor, Si McGurk (Lab), visited Mermaid Street on a fact finding mission.
They’d come to Rye and District Youth Club (RDYC) in what was the old Boy’s Club to learn what’s been going on in the year since it started welcoming children from Rye, the villages and as far afield as Hastings.
The guests discovered that it’s been a very busy time.
During 2025, the youth club registered over 180 children and had visits from nearly 2000 young people. Centre manager, Sophie Thorpe said, “We knew there was a real need for somewhere that Rye’s young people could go, to meet, to have fun, and just to feel safe and be listened to. What we didn’t realise when we started this was just how great the need was.”
The club welcomes between 20 and 40 children per session, and over the Christmas period it was visited by 200 children and signed up 40 new members. With so many families stretched, and often having both parents working hard, many children might be at a loose end if it weren’t for this grass-roots initiative.
The youth club, which is a registered charity, keeps children entertained, provides them a snack and gives them a safe “home from home” when needed.
There are now three sessions a week: Thursday and Saturday in Mermaid Street (4-7pm), and Friday at Rye Leisure Centre (4-7pm). In the school holidays, opening hours will adjust to 1-7 pm each session, and the team hope to add a Wednesday session too.
All the club’s incredible volunteers undergo enhanced DBS checks, and the management and trustees are striving to turn Rye and District Youth Club into a model for youth provision. To that end, the board of trustees has been reinforced by professionals from education and social care.
Guy Harris, chair of trustees, noted, “Young people often get saddled with negative stereotypes, but we can all remember being young, and when there was nothing to do, which of us was so angelic that we didn’t get into mischief? But many kids these days are carrying considerable burdens on young shoulders, whether that’s mental health issues, problems at home or at school, or the pressure of growing up online. The youth club is designed to try to help support local children and families to face the challenges today’s world presents. This is an investment in Rye, in our kids’ futures and the town’s prospects.”
As for our two visitors from Rother District Council, after a tour of the building and much thoughtful consideration of the club’s plans and needs, Sophie Thorpe couldn’t keep them off one of the last full-sized snooker tables in Rye.
Ward councillor, Si McGurk said, “On my second visit to the youth club, it was a pleasure to join Councillor Andrew Mier, in recognising what a tremendous asset the old Boys’ Club building has become for Rye and the surrounding communities. Since the club began operating, anti-social behaviour in the town has significantly reduced — clear evidence that this isn’t a ‘nice to have’ but an essential, preventative service. I hope our community, and crucially East Sussex County Council, will commit to proper, sustainable funding and seize every opportunity to support its future.”
The club’s influence on anti-social behaviour will continue to be monitored as the year progresses and the days get longer, but early signs are positive. Sophie Thorpe, was quick to make an important point however. She noted with passion, “The kids that attend the club are amazing young people with so much to offer the future of our town. They shouldn’t ever be seen as a nuisance, they’re a massive asset we need to invest in and advocate for. The more we can put in, the more we’ll get out.”
Councillor Andrew Mier added, “With some 350 young people aged 10 – 17 in Rye and Winchelsea alone, there’s a clear need for what is already a successful club and I hope it will receive all the support it deserves.”
The club’s board of trustees is building links with local government, local business, Rye College, and the community. It’s already received generous support from a number of well-known local businesses and is in discussions with more. However, in these straightened times, the continuance of the club will be dependent upon ongoing financial support, and Sophie appealed to any local business or individual who may wish to back the venture or to volunteer to get in touch at info@theryz.com.
In the near future there are plans for the Mermaid St building to be utilised further, as a community hub offering advice, therapy and many other activities. The aim is to bring Rye’s young people and the community back to the heart of their town.
Image Credits: Guy Harris .