A £1,000 grant will make a “hell of a difference” to a children’s youth club, its treasurer has said.

Nythe Youth Club has been handed the cash by Nythe, Eldene and Liden Parish Council – through their community grants scheme.

Club treasurer Vince Walton says the money will allow the youth club to buy new crafts, sports and play equipment for the youngsters to use.

Around 60 children are registered with the youth club, which meets every Friday evening at the Nythe Centre.

During the winter months the youngsters play indoor sports, do arts activities, play on the centre’s Xbox games console and load up on sugary treats. At the end of each year, the children are taken by coach for a trip to family theme park Paultons, near Romsey.

Vince, who has volunteered with the youth club for six years, said of the grant: “It will make a hell of a difference. We can start replacing our art materials. We run out quite quickly and we do rely on people like WHSmiths donating bits.

“We’ll be able to refresh things like an old broken ping pong table.”

Volunteer Rebecca Collins, 36, from Penhill, brings her daughters to the club. She said Nythe Youth Club was an important resource: “There’s nothing down my way for children. There used to be a disco – where I used to go. This is the only place that I know that allows children to come and spend an hour and a half.”

Kevin Parry, chairman of Nythe, Eldene and Liden Parish Council, said of the club: “They do a lot of fantastic work, which is totally unrecognised. But a lot of their equipment is out of date. The grant will support the club and help the children in their development.”

Club treasurer Vince said that, as well as the money, the club needed new adult volunteers: “One of the important things for us to get some new blood in. We do need more people to help with things like our secretary role – or even just to help out during the evenings.”

Nythe Youth Club meets at the Nythe Centre every Friday during school term-time, 6.30pm-8pm. Annual membership is £5 per child, with a £1.50 charge for each session.