YOUTH workers are being asked to continue their work at Portishead Youth Centre even when they are made redundant at the end of the month.

Most of the qualified youth workers will have their contracts with North Somerset Council terminated on March 31 as part of the authority’s cost-cutting measures.

However, Portishead Youth Centre management committee has offered them temporary contracts to remain in their posts to ensure a youth service continues to be provided at the Harbour Road building.

The youth club, which is held four evenings a week, runs near to full capacity on three of the evenings and in addition, the youth centre caf� is now open on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. All these sessions are covered by youth workers and the committee wants to ensure this remains the case.

Management committee chairman Ros Cruse said: “We are determined to keep the centre in operation and a youth service in place, but are only in a position to offer six-month temporary contracts because we do not have unlimited funds. We will continue to fundraise and apply for grant aid which we hope will enable us to renew the contracts when they expire, but this will be dependent on the amount of money we are able to raise over the next six months.”

Meanwhile local organisations including the raft race committee, Portishead Lions, Moose International and the police have contributed funds towards the weekend opening and other groups have also expressed an interest.