A long-standing volunteer with Keswick Youth Centre Services has decided to retire from her role as a trustee after giving four decades of service to the town’s young people.
Former Keswick businesswoman Sandra Moran, who was well-known in the town for running the Windebrowe Avenue chippy and the fishmongers off St John Street with her late husband Sam, has stepped down from her role as treasurer within the youth club.
Sandra, who is nearly 80, said: “I just feel, given that I am coming up to 80, that it is unfair and a little selfish to continue as treasurer and risk the organisation being left unprepared if I became ill, or worse.
“Although we have a replacement treasurer and a couple of new trustees in place, the club is always looking to recruit new volunteers to help out at the weekly sessions we run for year six, seven and eights, and year nine-plus youngsters at the Rawnsley Centre in Keswick.”
After the couple moved to Keswick in 1983, Sandra became a volunteer with the club when her daughter Janet, then 13, decided she wanted to attend a session in 1985.
“Janet wanted to go to a youth club session, so I went along with her the first time to check it out. I stayed but she didn’t!” she explained.
“However, my son Neil, who is three years younger, did take advantage. He and a few friends set up a band and they still jam and play the odd gig around town. Their first ever gig was at a youth club session to raise funds for Children in Need. I remember one of the members, Nicola Johnson wrote a report of the night for the Reminder,” she added.
The couple were active in several organisations in Keswick, including the then Chamber of Trade, and Sam, who was an avid tennis player and coach, set up the Junior Tennis Club.
With a financial background, Sandra found her volunteering duties extending to responsibility for coffee shop supplies and takings, and subsequently she was co-opted as a trustee, taking on the post of treasurer.
In 2001, the couple sold their businesses and moved to Penrith, where Sandra still lives.
Sam, who was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2007, sadly died in 2013. However, Sandra continued as youth club treasurer, taking on other roles including key holder and booking officer for community use.
She had a brief sabbatical after becoming “a little overwhelmed” with all her roles, but returned with a new vigour after being approached to take on the post of treasurer again.
Sandra said: “When I came on board again plans were being drawn up to build a youth club, four one bed flats, one two bed house, all for under-25s, and with car parking. The projected cost was £1.25m. Many revised plans later, permission was finally granted but now the projected cost has at least doubled.
“In 2022, we (the trustees) started negotiating to purchase The Bridge Cafe at an asking price of £850.000. Grant applications to various bodies, trusts and charities resulted in promises for £600,000 and the remainder had to be community fundraising. Sadly, we were pipped at the post and lost that.
“The club’s home is now at The Rawnsley Centre, and moving there meant another round of funding applications and requests for people to offer time and skills to bring the space up to its current standard.”
Keswick Youth Club is based upstairs in The Rawnsley Centre on Main Street, where it runs free weekly sessions in term time: Tuesdays for year six pupils (5.15pm to 6.30pm) and year seven/eight (6.45pm to 8.30pm); and Thursdays for year nine-plus 7pm to 9pm.
The club is always looking for more volunteers to join the existing small team. Anyone interested in helping can contact chairman Jorrit Jorritsma 07720 088810 or treasurer Jane Grave 07727 760157.
