A CYBER caf project has been so successful in providing help, advice and a meeting place for young people in Ryedale that a permanent scheme could be set up.

The Zone caf was launched by the Ryedale YMCA and the Fitzwilliam (Malton) Estates in Yorkersgate, Malton, as a social regeneration project funded by £191,000 from the Government's Single Regeneration Budget.

It opened in May 2001 and closed last month.

Peter Robinson, director of Ryedale YMCA, said: "It was used as a cyber caf, community caf and meeting place for young people and a place where they could also receive help and counselling."

It was used by various different agencies, including the Youth Offending Team, social services officers, the Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Primary Care Trust and the Probation Service.

"We have a slightly biased view, seeing as we ran it, but the general consensus was that it was popular and well-used as a meeting point for young people and lots of agencies.

"The project has now closed and the equipment is being stored. The hope is that some other agency will reopen it at a new venue."

The community enterprise was aimed at young people, not only provide them with a place to go in the evenings, but also to offer cheap access to the internet and give young people a chance to mix and interact with other members of the community.

Mr Robinson said the Yorkersgate venue was not ideal, because people attending stepped straight out of the front door and onto a pavement right by the busy main road, and it did not meet the requirements of new disabled access regulations, which will come into force in October.

Ryedale Voluntary Action (RVA), which is based at Wentworth Street, Norton, and other agencies, including Connexions, are examining the possibility of keeping the cyber caf going.

RVA chief officer Paul Hayward: "We are looking with some other organisations about options, whether it could be made to work. We are looking at possible premises. It's early days yet, clearly something like that needs a lot of work. We need to look at the capital side and operating costs. At the moment it's no more than a thought, we're looking at the possibility of keeping it going."

Updated: 12:13 Tuesday, April 06, 2004