THE neglected youth of Fairfield have seen plans for the Visy Cares Centre torn up, no support for the Parks Community Network which can't afford a dedicated youth worker and a general lack of youth-focused facilities for the next generation.

Timothy Ly and Maria Tran, of Carramar, are both in their early 20s. They live and work in the area but have noticed that while there are many projects for young people in which to participate, there isn't a dedicated youth space in the Fairfield CBD.

``The school kids need something like a sporting facility because it seems kids have no extra-curricular activities available in the CBD,'' Mr Ly said.

Miss Tran said she's learned through her involvement with community arts projects at the Fairfield School of Arts on Ware Street that any sort of youth space needs to be ``activated properly''.

``The arts school is quite small so good management of any projects that run out of there is crucial,'' she said. ``What's lacking is an access and drop-in centre where young people can use computers or chill out rather than hang around the shopping centre.''

Jeannie Hamid, of the Cabramatta PCYC, said Fairfield needs a space that will do for the area what the PCYC has done for Cabramatta. ``It's a safe environment and youths are coming from as far away as Bonnyrigg because the PCYC provides what they need,'' she said.

``As well as running programmed activities, kids can just hang out here with their friends.''

She said the increase in the Cabramatta club's membership is due to the lack of facilities that cater specifically for youth elsewhere.

``The youth population continues to grow around here. Although we can cope with the influx of young people it comes down to funding and volunteers to keep it going.''

Fairfield Council have planned to conduct a feasibility study into the expansion of Fairfield Library to accommodate a youth space.

The council will also look at the facilities at Fairfield Leisure Centre in order to cater for youth services.