A teenage community group designed to tackle anti-social behaviour and provide Norbiton’s youngsters with life skills is rebranding amid “concerns for its viability”.

The Norbiteens, run by community group One Norbiton, was set up in April 2014 for 13 to 17-year-olds to tackle the area’s lack of youth provision and problems with antisocial behaviour.

However, after a trial period members found the project to be too exclusive.

Jill Preston, secretary of One Norbiton, said: “We did an evaluation after six months. We’re reviewing it because it’s public money.

“What we have got is a gem of an idea, we just need to tweak it. We want it to be totally inclusive because generally in the past it’s just been boys.

“We looked at it and thought we could make changes to it and make it better.”

Representatives from One Norbiton will meet with officials from Achieving for Children – the child services provider for Richmond and Kingston – and Christian youth charity Oxygen on Monday, January 11, to discuss forming a new group.

The project is expected to be launched soon after at Piper Hall community centre, in Piper Road, which is part of the Cambridge estate. Youngsters will be given the chance to vote on a name.

Norbiton Councillor Lindsay Cottingham said: “I think it’s really good, the more young people active in the community and meeting with other young people involved the better.

“It’s a good initiative, to have it now overseen by a charity [Oxygen] that is trained in specifically looking after young people is great.”

Kingston Council announced last month that it would be reviewing all of the borough’s community centres, with some possibly closing in March as part of planned budget cuts.