GUERNSEY’S longest-running youth club faces closure. Capelles Youth Club’s headquarters has been sold to Fortuna (Guernsey) Ltd.

It looks like joining the growing list of church and community venues converted into homes.

‘I feel very, very sad,’ said leader Dave Falla, who helped found the club 58 years ago. ‘I can still carry on using it for the immediate future but I’m not sure what the longer-term future is yet.

‘Eventually it will close, but I could not put a date to it,’ he said.

Capelles currently has an ‘open door’ policy and has no set membership – but it remains popular.

‘This club has never closed its doors since February 1946 and thousands of young people from around the island have had the privilege of using it.’

Housing minister Dave Jones said: ‘As vital as accommodation is to the people of Guernsey, I’m deeply saddened by this news.

‘I hope if the new Environment Department sanctions this change of use, it thinks very carefully about other venues where youth clubs could operate from. These activity centres have a huge role to play.’

St Sampson’s deputy Ron Le Moignan said that the club’s closure would be really bad news.

Deputy Ivan Rihoy said: ‘It was not designed for that [residential] and lends itself to some form of community activity; it is very important to the youth club and the parish.’

The premises were initially sold by the church to a woman who let the club continue to use them.

She died late last year and her heirs sold the premises to Fortuna, Mr Falla said.

‘When it was originally sold by the church, about five years ago,

I was very upset, but being a member of the church and the planning committee of the new community centre, I wanted the best of both worlds.’

Mr Falla said that Fortuna director Giles Newark had been very understanding.

‘I visualised it would have to close down straight away,’ he said.

‘But it will be a gradual winding-down.’

Mr Newark said that Fortuna would be seeking change of use and would shortly seek clarification, from the new Environment Department, of plans for the area.

Flats seemed the likely option for the premises which, he said, were in a terrible state.

Mr Newark hoped the youth club might move to the community centre. ‘I would hate to see the youth club finish because of this,’ he said. ‘I would hope that it could continue in some capacity across the road.’

But this might not be feasible as the centre is booked up most evenings by a dance school, a choir, Rangers, Guides, Brownie and Rainbow units, the pastoral committee, the community link group, the WI and the North Show committee.