A Liverpool youth club brings back old school fun. Kids enjoy games, trips, and friendship without phones. It’s a local legacy.
Teddy Gold started the Bronte in the 1960s. He was a very important youth worker, and the club survived tough times and funding cuts. Now, families all over the city use this resource. Kids aged five to 18 can join in. They do archery, dodgeball, cooking, and DJ-ing, and it costs 50p each visit.
The Bronte’s real home is on Trowbridge Street, near Lime Street Station. The building is being fixed up. The renovation should finish this year.
Blackburne House was a girls’ school. Pictures of old students hang on the walls. Edwina Currie and Tina Malone went there.
During the visit, kids were active. Some played ball, while others did hide-and-seek. Still others played games and sang to music.
It feels like the past. Kids lined up for candy and soda. No one was on their phones, and they were busy with friends.
Millen Dolan, 12, loves the Bronte. He comes to hang out with mates and also enjoys playing soccer there.
Shane Hussein and Lilly Owen are both 11. They are excited for a trip. Next week, it is off to North Yorkshire. They will stay in a barn and swim, and Lilly thinks the trip will be amazing.
Jessica, 15, has been going since age three. She meets new people at the club and has made many friends at the Bronte. Jessica’s parents went there too.
Laura Cain runs the Bronte. Many kids’ parents or grandparents went there. Her parents met at the club. Laura took over from her mom, Mary McNally, who ran the club for 40 years. Joan Davies has worked there for 30 years, and Joan even had her wedding reception there.
Kids come from all over Liverpool. St Andrew’s Gardens once had many members. Families moved from there, and this area is the Bullring.
The Bronte started in 1965. Teddy Gold helped solve issues in the Bullring. Kids damaged their youth club at that time, so Teddy created a community group. The community managed events.
Teddy said politicians failed him. He wanted youth clubs nationwide because he thought clubs kept kids out of trouble. He wanted youth to be responsible.
Laura helps kids escape modern pressures. Social media and school create stress. The club provides a safe space.
Kids can switch off at the club. Phones are allowed, but not encouraged, and trips ban phones. Kids socialize and play games, which helps their mental health.
Laura looks forward to the Bronte’s reopening. Space is limited now in Blackburne House. It is tough to mix all ages, but she sees the end of the renovations soon.
Parents picked up their kids. Peter, 49, and Mark, 42, went to the Bronte. They want the same fun for their own children.
Peter said youth places are limited. Many clubs shut down. He hopes his granddaughter will attend, and kids love the Bronte because phones become less important.