TEENAGERS in Bridgwater are preparing a last-ditch bid to save their beloved youth centre from the worst of the county council’s funding cuts.

Users of The Rollercoaster in Sydenham are preparing to welcome Somerset County Council’s youth chief Cllr John Osman tomorrow night after he agreed the visit the centre.

The authority is preparing to cut its youth budget by 75% but the speed of the cuts is yet to be decided and Mr Osman has agreed to delay making the final decision, which had been due this week, until the end of next month.

Jessica Pear, 15, is a member of the Bridgwater Activ8tors group which uses the centre.

She said: “We want Mr Osman to visit the Rollercoaster because we feel he’s trying to make a decision without actually seeing it.

“Young people have got a bad reputation since the riots, but we respect the centre and the youth workers.”

Volunteers like Jessica are trained how to work with the young people and provide activities at the centre.

Jessica added: “We asked people what they would be doing if they were not at the youth centre and 99% said they’d be on the streets.

The council says it wants to reduce street crime, but it is not helping.”

Last month dozens of youngsters at the centre signed a letter to the council opposing cuts to the youth budget.

It said: “There is already nothing to do in Bridgwater and if youth clubs are cut we will have nowhere to go and nothing to do.”

Sedgemoor district councillor Ian Tucker, who is backing their bid, said: “I think it’s good he will be listening to them, before taking the final decision on which option to take.”

The choices before the council are Option A, which would mean retaining some Youth Centres and reducing staff numbers.

It may also include a transition payment of £250,000. Option B would see the council withdraw its youth services gradually through to April 2013.

Option C suggests the transition be completed by April this year.

Mr Tucker added: “We’re hoping it will be option A, which looks at deprived areas and puts emphasis on those.

“That option seems to be the better of the three evils because it allows a bit more time to keep the youth workers.”

A spokeswoman for the county council said a decision was now expected to be made on February 29.