Whether it was sport, wedding receptions, marching girls or 21st birthdays, there was always something going on.
In comparison the building today could be described as skeletal, and is due to be demolished in 2021 to make way for an easement between the recently relocated CFA building and the Shepparton Search and Rescue.
While those who have been part of the club’s history said they had accepted the Vaughan St building's fate, they are looking forward to one last hurrah celebrating everything the building and club meant to the community over the last 50-plus years.
Built on funds donated from the community, the Shepparton Youth Club opened its doors on Vaughan St in the early 1960s to help get kids off the streets and into more productive avenues.
Heather Estrada’s father Jim McGregor was one of the men involved in raising the money to build the club.
“I remember going home one day and George Wilson and my dad were at the kitchen table, talking about needing a hall,” Heather said.
“Sitting there with a few others, they were making this drawing of what they wanted the youth club to look like.”
After an architect was commissioned to clean up the mens’ kitchen table designs, they began raising money.
“They had raffles, oh my goodness, they had everything,” Heather said.
“My dad never walked around unless he had a raffle book in his pocket.
“He was a quiet man, but you never ever said no.”
If people or families donated a certain amount of money, they would be given a brick with their names engraved on it, bricks which are still part of the building and at threat of being lost when it’s demolished.
Heather said it would be nice for people to be able to collect their bricks.
“There’s been a lot of people come through the club who probably still have a piece of youth club in their hearts,” Shepparton Youth Club life member Cathrine Armstrong said.
Cathrine said it was disappointing to know the building was going to be knocked down rather than repurposed.
“Initially we were angry and thought we might be able to stop it, but I don’t think that’s going to happen,” she said.
“Now we’re just trying to get people who were involved in the youth club, in whichever area, to come back and have one last hurrah.”
Stephen Pinnock, who joined the club in 1990 and now runs the Lost Shepparton Youth Club Facebook page said when the idea was initially posted on social media about a final gathering to celebrate the club's history, a handful of people expressed interest in attending.
Now that the function has been approved by the council for February 26, 2021, Stephen, Cathrine and Heather are calling for confirmations of interest from the former youth club community so they can properly plan the event.
“It’s still in the works at the moment,” Cathrine said.
“We’re waiting to find out what the response is going to be, which will determine how big the function will be.”
“We want people to come back and celebrate the youth club,” Stephen said.
To RSVP to the event, email jimandcat@aapt.net.au or rayjuanrose@gmail.com or via the Lost Shepparton Youth Club Facebook page.
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