THE YOUTH CENTRE BY THE VILLAGE HALL

Dear Editor,

I refer to the article in the last issue of the Echo about the closure of the Evington Pre- School.

Many families will have reason to be grateful to Jean Matthews for providing this service for Evington and surrounding areas for so many years - a truly remarkable record on which she is to be congratulated. However, the Pre-School did not close because the Youth Centre was to be demolished. The Youth Centre is owned by the Diocese of Leicester, not St Denys Church. It is administered by a Board of Trustees under the terms of a lease executed in 1963 and is also a registered charity. Earlier this year Mrs Matthews informed the trustees that the Pre-School would close in June, as she was retiring from this work, and her tenancy of the Youth Centre would cease. The Trustees then gave notice to the Diocese of Leicester that they wished to surrender their lease. This was accepted and the relevant legal documents are in the process of being dealt with. The Trustees have also had to give notice to The Charity Commissioners that the Youth Centre will cease.

We understand that the building is to be demolished but we do not know when this will happen nor do we know what the land will be used for in the future. Your readers may also not be aware that the adjacent car park does not belong to St Denys Church. That is owned by the Diocese of Leicester and the church is charged an annual rent, payable quarterly in advance.