YOUNGSTERS can join a pioneering snooker club in Accrington which aims to help those without a job get into employment.

Y-NOT, Hyndburn Borough’s Young Persons Neighbourhood Operational Team, has secured more than £60,000 to open a snooker club.

It offers coaching in a bid to engage young people who fall within the Not in Education, Employment or Training, or NEET, category by providing education in subjects such as maths and English, all through playing snooker.

Snooker star Jimmy White, is visiting the club at Cue Masters in Blackburn Road tomorrow night.

Last week former world snooker champion Steve Davis visited the club, which runs every Tuesday and Thursday evening and is open to all young people in the area.

The snooker club teaches trick shots and will hold competitions.

Y-NOT has secured the funding in partnership with the North Lancashire Training Group from the European Social Fund to provide, over a three year period, pre-entry to employment courses to help young people obtain jobs and deal with unemployment.

PC Rob Flanagan, Hyndburn youth partnerships officer, said: “The snooker youth club is an exciting project that shows what fantastic results can be achieved by agencies, service providers and the community all working together for the benefit of young people.

“Y-NOT is working on a number of projects in the borough and it is a very positive time to be young.

“The snooker club and other projects set up through Y-NOT will continue through the hard work of young people themselves and it is important that we highlight the good work that young people are capable of, instead of the negative things that we hear of all too often.”