YMCA plans to build £14million youth & community centre

11.59.23pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 30th Sep 2008

Diagramof YMCA plan

The YMCA has submitted a bid for £5million of funding to the government's MyPlace grant programme to kick-start its plans to build a brand new £14million Youth & Community Centre on Broadwater Road.

The brand new 4,200sq metre, 2 floor, Youth & Community facility will be located in the Peartree ward of Welwyn Hatfield. The project, through a number of key partnerships, will provide a wide range of world class activities and services for young people including:

swimming pool

skate park (partly covered)

climbing wall

multimedia studio

music recording studio

youth fitness suite

community fitness suite

activity studios

youth café & chill zones

community café

multi use sports hall / performance venue

external all-weather multi use games area (MUGA)

learning and development zone (library and computer facilities)

health & wellbeing centre

Information advice and guidance centre

The design is based around a central 'street' which will encourage young people to walk through the centre (as they would a shopping centre) seeing all of the facilities and activities on offer - reducing perceived barriers to access.

Services will be provided by key partners including information, advice and guidance, a range of alternative learning opportunities, teen pregnancy services, support for young people with life controlling issues such as drug and alcohol addictions, and educational support for young people who are not in education employment or training (NEET) or are at risk of becoming NEET.

The project will develop a hub and satellite model to support existing youth groups around the district by providing facilities that enhance the current provision of these groups.

Uniquely, the centre has been designed for wider community use during school hours - this will provide income to subsidise the planned free access for all young people and create a genuine opportunity to build intergenerational relationships, breaking down barriers between young and old as they share facilities.

The centre will be open 16 hours each day, 7 days a week providing the place to go for young people when they are not at school and inspiring thousands of young people to engage in activities not currently accessible to them.

Hundreds of young people have already played a key role in shaping the facility in the design phases of the planning and they will continue to have a core role in the ongoing development of the centre at all levels of management and governance. Youth leadership will ensure the continuous relevance of activities offered at the facility, as well as creating solutions to facilitate the inclusion and membership of all young people who live locally, particularly involvement of disadvantaged young people.

The anticipated grant from MyPlace will provide the core funding to kick-start the project and the YMCA plan to undertake a major capital fundraising programme to attract the balance of monies required to create this world-class facility.

For more information contact Robin Webb, Chief Executive YMCA Central Herts

robin.webb@centralhertsymca.org.uk

01707 351410