Barry Phillips’ Youth Trust

The Barry Phillips’ Youth Trust is being launched in Milford on Sea. Barry died in the summer of 2009, well known locally for his involvement in New Milton Rugby Club, the time he spent teaching ‘maths’ at Arnewood School and in Village life, especially the Youth Club, which he started in 1970. When the Club closed in 1997 Barry’s greatest wish was that the old site in Sea Road be safeguarded for a future Community Centre and Youth Club. With the Centre’s opening in September 2010, he almost lived to see this happen.

Now nearly 20 months after Barry’s death, Jenny, his wife and two new trustees, will be launching the new Youth Trust in his memory. The Trust has been started to help young people of the Village who may need assistance to further their education. If Barry could, he would have continued to help young people attain their aspirations and gain a positive attitude to life. This new Trust will welcome applications from young people (21 and below) who may need a small financial incentive to buy equipment or instruments or to fund travel and tuition in order to give them a start towards achieving a vocation and/or career. The Trust will be funded for the most part, by local fund-raising events and will, therefore, only be in a position to offer awards up to £100 (only in exceptional circumstances will more be offered - and at the discretion of the Trustees). The application forms are very straightforward and should be completed by the young person applying for the funding.

The following people are the present Trustees. Jenny Spenser, Barry’s wife, was from 1980 an active member and trustee of the original Milford Youth Club. She is also a retired secondary teacher and a trustee of the Village Community Centre, Zena Gibson, who taught at a variety of secondary schools in the London area for over 20 years, heading a department for most of that time. Since moving to Milford on Sea three years ago she has been involved as a volunteer with Milford on Sea Youth Group and is now Chair of the Youth Committee, plus Veronica Crowley who is a qualified social worker and has worked in children’s services for thirty years. She set up her own Child Care Consultancy business in January 2009 providing training, support and mentoring across a variety of child care services. She is also a Governor at Priestlands Community School.

The official launch of Barry Phillips’ Youth Trust will be 1st April and to celebrate Jenny, Zena and Veronica are hosting a Tea Party at the Village Community Centre on Saturday 16th April from 2-5pm during the Milford on Sea’s Food Week. For £3.50 you can drink as much tea as you wish and have a delicious and generous portion of homemade cake, whilst supporting the youth of Milford.

Further planned events are:

June 26th Sunday afternoon tea in Shorefield Way (profits shared with Oakhaven)

July 23rd Saturday afternoon Fun Dog Show on the Village Green (profits shared with Milford’s Village Community Centre)

October 22nd a Saturday Evening of Music with refreshments at the Village Community Centre.

All these events will have their own advertisements in due course. If any reader has ideas for future events or would be willing to help please use the contact below.

Application forms are available from:

Milford on Sea Village Community Centre, Sea Road, MoS

Milford Youth Group c/o Community Centre above

Milford News (newsagents), High Street, MoS

Milford Primary School, Lymington Road, MoS

Priestlands School , Lymington, MoS

If you have any questions or need help completing the form Jenny Spenser can be contacted at Little Brook, Lymore Lane, Keyhaven, SO41 0TS Tel: 01590 644489