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Youth club closed for almost two months due to heating problems

Getty Images A group of four children are sat on a wooden floor as they play a board game. The image is taken from above them. They are photgrpahed from aboveGetty Images

A village youth club has been closed for seven weeks because of problems with the heating system and will only "reopen as soon as it is safe to do so", the Education Authority (EA) has said.

Work is continuing to identify the "root cause" of the problem at the club in Claudy, County Londonderry.

"We apologise for the disruption this has caused to young people and families in the area," the EA said.

Parent Serena McCloone said the club was a vital facility for young people, many of whom live "in isolated areas".

"A lot of them would have come together at the local youth club," she said.

"It gives them an opportunity to not only make their friends that they see at school but the mix from the other schools as well".

Between 20 and 30 children children attend the club when open, including her son John and daughter Erin.

Her youngest daughter Emma hopes to go to the club next year when she is old enough to attend.

The image shows Claudy youth club, a white building with a tin roof. It is set behind a cemetery. A number of gravestones can be seen in the foreground
There is no indication yet of when Claudy youth club will reopen

She said her children ask her nearly every week if the club is open.

"And very often, I don't know yet, ( I tell them) we'll have to wait and see," she said.

Communication from the EA, she said, had been poor, with many parents relying on sporadic social media posts to stay informed.

"We would just like to be informed as to what's happening so that we can plan ourselves accordingly and perhaps arrange something ourselves to ensure that our children are still getting that social interaction."

She told BBC News NI, it was disappointing there was still no definite reopening date.

'Reassure the community'

In a statement, the EA said it understood parents' concerns and wanted to reassure the community that it was actively working to restore youth provision as quickly as possible".

It said the problems at the club were not funding-related.

Engineers had attended the site and carried out work carried out, but further investigations were ongoing.

"We remain committed to ensuring children and young people in Claudy have access to high-quality, safe, and sustainable youth services for the long term," the EA said.