After months of trying to get a soccer program running for kids in the Westminster-Pond Mills area, Sue Joyes has all but given up hope. Everything is in place but she needs insurance to run it.

Joyes believes the city should do everything it can to help get the program going as there's a huge need for recreational programs for kids in the area.

"They are clearly not meeting their mandate," Joyes said.

Controller Joe Swan said he'll raise the issue at Monday's council meeting.

"She's run into resistance at almost every turn," Swan said. "I'll ask that (Coun. Fred) Tranquilli, under CAPS (community and protective services), solve the problem."

Joyes thought the program was ideal for her part of the city after she did a survey at a couple of schools and talked to elementary kids about what sport they liked to play. Soccer was No. 1.

But many can't afford to pay the full price, so Joyes began working in January to put a program in place that would cut costs for them.

She wanted to have games three days a week and figured about 150 children would participate. Joyes lined up about 30 volunteers from Laurier secondary school to help.

Nancy Needham, the community development co-ordinator of South London Neighbourhood Resource Centre, which encompasses all of the south London area, had hoped her centre could help.

But its insurance company cannot insure sports programs. "We'd have to go to a different company. It would be quite costly. It's been a surprise that it's this hard to get insurance," Needham said.

Needham is still hopeful the program will be a go, though.

She said perhaps there's an individual or sports association in the city that can help Joyes work through the insurance problems.

Paul D'Hollander, a manager of the city's recreation services, said he and his staff want the soccer program in place as much as Joyes.

He said his department would be willing to help the group find some financial resources or other assistance.

"We can look at helping to find some . . . community leaders who might help to get a rider or clause into an insurance program that would help us get coverage."

D'Hollander was asked if the city would provide some financial assistance.

"It probably wouldn't be the preferred option. We could be supporting insurance (requests) from many organizations. Our means is to work through the groups that are out there doing a great job."

Swan called it a "red-tape issue."

"Our job at council is to help the community overcome these regulations."

Joyes doesn't believe the South London resource centre should be the one trying to get insurance. "It doesn't fall under their umbrella."

She'd like the city to provide her area with its own resource centre and worker to get other recreational and social programs in place.

"The area has to be recognized as its own area with its own needs . . . I've been trying for three years to bring attention to this area."

Swan agreed: "We have a pocket of children that are under-served."

Joyes says she's running out of time.

School is nearing an end and she would need to have everything in place before school closes for the summer.

"It's a lot to organize in (a few) days," she said, including getting forms out to the kids.

D'Hollander believes there are different ways to get the word out.

"I'm sure with some flyers and advertisers within the community, something like that could be pulled together pretty quickly," he said.

D'Hollander said roadblocks of this type come up frequently. "The whole community development process can be frustrating."