Protest at youth charity closure

The centre in Swansea's Castle Square is due to shut for the final time on 30 June

Protesters have chained themselves to the door of a youth charity that is due to close at the end of the month.

The Fairbridge centre in Swansea helps youngsters - some who are homeless, have dropped out of school or with drug problems - to turn their lives around.

It has helped over 400 from the city and surrounding counties since 2005 but funding has dried up.

A small group of them are protesting at the centre in Castle Square saying the service is still desperately needed.

The charity's Swansea centre opened four years ago thanks to over £500,000 in Lottery and European grants but it has not been able to secure further funding.

Its 10 members of staff and three volunteers are due to finish on 30 June.

Darren Welke, 20, said he had first gone there 18 months ago when living in a hostel.

"It's wrong because the work they are doing is improving young peoples lives," he said.

They welcomed me everyday Dean Rand, former drug user

"A lot of young people are going to lose out but we will not let it go without a fight."

The centre runs courses to help build confidence and self esteem and to help prepare youngsters to find work or to go back to education.

Dean Rand, 24, said he was a qualified carpet fitter before he became involved with drugs.

Now clean, he said: "I was on the streets, had a big drug problem and my family had given up on me.

"They welcomed me everyday and helped me through it. It's not just because it's their job - they really do care."

Fairbridge said it was currently working with 64 young people from Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot and had seen over 400 since 2005.

It said the Swansea centre had repeatedly tried to secure funding from local and national sources in preparation for when its start-up funding came to an end.

The charity also has a base in Cardiff which it said would remain open but where funding was also a serious issue.

Regional director Anthony McEwen said: "It is a very sad day for Swansea.

"For the past four years, the team in Swansea have worked tirelessly to engage some of the most marginalised young people who were on the edge of society.

"We are absolutely devastated that all our efforts to keep the centre open have proven unsuccessful."