IXWORTH STORES DONATES £2000 TO SUPPORT IXWORTH YOUTH JUNCTION 

A Bury St Edmunds’ Co-op Wholesale partner store - Ixworth Stores, based on High Street - has donated £2,000 to Ixworth Youth Junction through Making a Difference Locally's Heart of the Community Awards Funding Round. 

Based at Ixworth Village Hall, Ixworth Youth Junction was nominated by store owner, Falgun Odedara to receive the donation after sighting it as a very worthwhile local not-for-profit organisation. It operates as a youth club for young people aged 11 to 16 every Thursday evening, providing a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment where young people can socialise, develop new skills and access opportunities that can often be difficult to reach in rural communities. 

The youth club has a membership of more than 40 young people and regularly welcomes between 20 and 30 attendees at each session. Activities include pool, air hockey, table tennis, karaoke, arts and crafts, sports, cooking activities and cultural celebrations, all designed to help young people build confidence, develop friendships and try new experiences. 

Founded in 2008, Making A Difference Locally, Co-op Wholesale’s charity, supports local community causes through funds raised via sales of Co-op Brand items in its retail partners’ stores. 

The £2,000 Heart of the Community Award will be used over the next six months to support the club's programme of activities. 

Mike Jones, Trustee at Ixworth Youth Junction, said: "We are absolutely delighted that Ixworth Youth Junction has been selected as a winner of the Heart of the Community Awards Funding Round. We would like to pass on our sincere thanks to Falgun Odedara at Ixworth Stores for nominating us and to the judges at Making a Difference Locally for recognising the work we are doing with young people in our community. 

"The £2,000 donation will make a real difference and allow us to spread the benefit of the funding across our programme of activities over the next six months. We are committed to providing a safe, welcoming and supportive environment where young people can have fun, develop new skills, build confidence and access opportunities they might otherwise miss. We are incredibly grateful for this support." 

In addition to its weekly sessions, Ixworth Youth Junction works to overcome some of the challenges faced by young people living in rural areas by providing access to experiences and activities that might otherwise be difficult to attend because of transport and cost barriers. Recent projects have included trips to Chessington World of Adventures and Pleasurewood Hills Family Theme Park. 

Falgun Odedara, owner of Ixworth Stores, said: “Ixworth Youth Junction provides an invaluable service for young people in our community. The volunteers and trustees work tirelessly to create a safe place where young people can meet friends, learn new skills and have positive experiences. I am delighted that their work has been recognised through a Heart of the Community Award and I'm proud that Ixworth Stores could nominate them for this funding.” 

Speaking on MADL’s behalf, Kate Carroll, added: “Access to safe and inclusive youth provision is essential to the wellbeing and development of young people, particularly in rural communities where opportunities can be more limited.  Clubs such as Ixworth Youth Junction help young people build confidence, form positive social connections and experience activities they might not otherwise have access to.  We're pleased that this funding will support the continued delivery of such an important community resource.”