Santa's Grotto @ The Drop Inn

Belper Town Council asked us to host Santa’s Grotto for the town, some of the young people who were not in school transformed the centre into a grotto, Bingorama supported us with the loan of plastic elves and boards. Santa donated us 2 games consoles and games.

Volunteer Team gets bigger

Another friend of mine – Kieth – joined the team of volunteers.
We were invited to a conference at Count Hall, Matlock. The Mulberry Bush lent us their mini bus. The young people who attended were very proud to be representing this new centre and even took to the stage to have their say. It was a very proud moment for us all.

Belper Town Council support

Belper Town Council paid 2 months rent for us of £280

£500 Donation from Councillor Wildsmith

Councillor Wildsmith recognised the work of the Drop Inn and made a donation of £500 to help with our running and equipment costs. House Proud and the British Legion donated us some computers.

Princes Trust Graffiti workshop

Young people with the Princes Trust came in and worked with us to redecorate and do some graffiti art on the walls.

The Official Opening

We held the official opening of the Drop Inn – a centre for youth run by youth. Belper Town Council bought us a pool table to set us up, the local Police gave us £500 to open up the fire escape and for security grills. To open up the fire exit I was out in the back yard trying to kick in the old door, suddenly a voice came from above asking what I was doing, it was a red spikey head who insisted on coming down, he appeared, ripped jeans to accompany the red spikey hair, ‘oh no, what have we here?’ I thought. But a more polite helpful young lad I could not have wished to meet – moral of this day, not everything with red spikey hair is dangerous!! He became a regular member of the Drop Inn and remained helpful and polite.
The grand opening

N64

The Drop Inn has it's first Console, Yes!

The Drop Inn OPENS

MARCH 2000
I conned two friends Nicki and Sue to help me run the Drop Inn, I purchased some paint from Wilko and with some of the young people we painted the rooms of the basement to their liking. Sue, Nicki and myself each put £1 in to open a bank account in the name of the Drop Inn. We opened at night and sat drinking coffee just at a table in the middle of the bar area, young people came through and just looked at us, we didn’t approach them, just said hello. Gradually they approached us and got talking. Within the first 6 weeks of opening we came across anything we could ever have to deal with, sexual activity in the back room, alcohol on the premises, drug addicts being in the rooms and violence. I got a few of the young people together explaining we had to set some ground rules, the youth committee was born and made the first rules and policies. We had to think and act on our feet.

Recruiting staff

I conned two friends Nicki and Sue to help me run the Drop Inn, I purchased some paint from Wilko and with some of the young people we painted the rooms of the basement to their liking. Sue, Nicki and myself each put £1 in to open a bank account in the name of the Drop Inn. We opened at night and sat drinking coffee just at a table in the middle of the bar area, young people came through and just looked at us, we didn’t approach them, just said hello. Gradually they approached us and got talking. Within the first 6 weeks of opening we came across anything we could ever have to deal with, sexual activity in the back room, alcohol on the premises, drug addicts being in the rooms and violence. I got a few of the young people together explaining we had to set some ground rules, the youth committee was bourn and made the first rules and policies. We had to think and act on our feet.

Offering the Basement of Moss offices

After appeals I was offered the Basement of a shop at the top of King Street by business man Richard Moss, he offered three months rent free as support to see how things worked out, this was my first big break. I took the premises in February 2000 and with the support of my employer (Liz Sread) from the Mulberry Bush After School Club I printed flyers to hand out to young people. I went everywhere I could find young people hanging about and gave them a flyer. This was where I first met Shell and Carl, two of the original characters who stayed many years. The flyers invited young people to a meeting at the premises in King Street to put ideas together. On that night in February, 83 young people turned up!! I asked them to name the centre, they came up with various names then took a vote on them, the most votes went to “The Drop Inn”, mainly because it sounded like a pub!! So The Drop Inn was born.