The Grub Hub, at the Connaughty Youth Centre in Cottingham Road, offers a safe place for youngsters to hang out and meet new friends, as well as providing food and drink at reasonable prices.

Funding for the project has come from the Youth Opportunities Fund – run by Corby Council – which gives young people the power to make decisions on how cash is spent to provide facilities for the young.

Responsibility for running the cafe has been put into the hands of the Community Interest Company, a non-profit-making organisation at the centre, but it plans to hand over the reins to young people.

Carol Copeland, director of youth work at the company, said: “We were approached and asked if we would take on the cafe and we set it up for young people.

“We are going to develop it as a training opportunity for young people. We want to give them experience in running the cafe, doing the books and running a small company, as well as offering them support.”

She said work placements would be on offer to enhance the skills of local youngsters interested in catering and other businesses.

She said: “We have 71 people on our books. The cafe aims to create a warm, friendly, environment where young people can come in and be safe, relax and have some food, as well as build up their social skills.

“People aged from 13 to 20, who are from different backgrounds come along.”

One group of teenagers using the cafe is from the nearby Rathbone Training College in Wood Street, which runs programmes to help youngsters over 14 gain key skills qualifications, to get a job or go on to further education.

The Connaughty Youth Centre is home to a number of organisations which are part of Prevention Through Learning – a group working for the benefit of Corby’s young people.

The Grub Hub is open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday between midday and 2pm and Monday and Wednesday evenings.