A neglected, empty building stands in the centre of Haywards Heath as a reminder of the failure to provide much-needed youth facilities in Mid Sussex.

The Bytes cafe for young people was an ambitious project but one which was never able to fulfil its aims.

After a five-year search for suitable premises, asbestos and dry rot hampered the opening.

Four years later, its doors closed for the last time.

The dream, to open day and evening and reduce the number of young people hanging around on street corners, never materialised.

A multi-agency approach was all too often beset by red tape, while the youth worker whose dream the project was left the district and staffing issues went unresolved.

Thankfully, hard work by the town's voluntary sector - church groups, Scouts, Guides and so forth - has helped plug the gap while the statutory youth services flounder.

Trevor Butler
Trevelyan Place,
Haywards Heath