AN institution has applied to become an official centre to help teenagers who have been excluded from school.

Consett YMCA, in Parliament Street, already works with teenagers involved in Durham County Council's Impact Scheme, but it is now hoping to become the dedicated north-west Durham centre.

The education scheme encourages disaffected young people to become interested in education and other activities. Billy Robson, of the YMCA, said: "It is something we're very excited about. It's exactly the kind of thing we do very well, and we already do a lot of work with these youngsters. Of course, it's early days, but we've got our fingers crossed."

Meanwhile, the YMCA team also reflected on how far the organisation had come since it opened in 1919. Chairman Roy Tyman said: "It was all about table tennis and trips out and so on for years. It was a glorified youth club really. The big change came when everyone knew they were going to close the steelworks."

Mr Robson believed the centre's most effective years were between 1980 and 1988, when the Government used it as a training centre.

Of the latest developments he said: "We do a lot of good work here. Besides anything else we employ people. We are operating 15 schemes and we are home to a number of community groups. Impact would be just the latest step."