A SPECIALLY designed shelter, which could be used by youngsters as a meeting place, has been created in Garvald.

The shelter, which cost in the region of £4,500, has been put in place in the village’s park and there are plans for it to feature lighting and WiFi so youngsters can access the internet.

Haddington and Lammermuir Area Partnership’s (HALAP) children and young people sub-group set aside £15,000 to look at the idea of shelters being created, which could be utilised by youngsters, throughout the local authority ward.

Stuart Gibb, HALAP manager, said: “Part of the area plan for the area partnerships has been a number of desires, if you like, around social space for young people.

“When the area plan was being developed, there was quite a bit of work done with kids at Knox Academy and they have raised things they wanted to see changed in their area.

“One of the key things was there was not enough social space.”

Mr Gibb told the Courier that the area partnership had looked online at youth shelters to look at potential costs.

He said: “The designs coming in were all quite expensive and if you were buying a modular thing it could be expensive.”

Penny Short, children and young people champion and chairwoman of Garvald and Morham Community Council, has been driving the scheme forward.

She worked alongside the local authority’s landscape and countryside department to create their own version of a shelter.

Area partnership approval was given towards the end of last year and the shelter was put in at the end of last month.

Mrs Short was delighted to say the shelter had proven popular with the village’s youngsters.

She said: “One of the priorities of Haddington and Lammermuir Area Partnership is to provide safe places for young people to hang out and socialise and I am delighted that, following consultation with the villagers of Garvald and their overwhelmingly positive response, we have now successfully installed a shelter in Garvald.

“It’s so important to recognise that young people are a very valuable part of our community and their voices are heard, and our kids deserve this fantastic social space which has been provided by amenity services.

“I hope this will be a great asset to the village and that everyone, young and not so young, will enjoy using it.”

Now, further talks are taking place with a view to similar shelters being introduced elsewhere in the ward, including Haddington.Mr Gibb stressed discussions were still in the early stages and there would need to be talks with the community over potential sites..