Press Release - Southside Regeneration Youth Project |
New Youth Centres to Deliver Wow Factor in Bristol and BathYoung people across Bristol and Bath will soon be able to access a host of new activities from music production to martial arts thanks to a £7 million boost from the government.
In Bath, the former Southside Youth Centre is to be transformed into a new, world-class facility for local young people following a grant of more than £2m from the myplace programme. Bath and North East Somerset Council has secured the money for the two-year regeneration project. Once created the new venue will feature facilities such as a community café, music studio, ICT suite and various sports facilities, and will enable young people to take part in activities ranging from boxing basketball and trampolining to streetdance, martial arts and music. The centre will be fully accessible for young people with disabilities and will include a special sensory room that will stimulate senses such as touch and sight. The project will also include drug and alcohol support services, sexual health advice, training and employment advice, and counselling services, which will be delivered by partner organisations such as Connexions, the Children's Society, and Project 28. Complementing the activities on offer at the main venue, two ‘youth buses’ with multi-media and ICT equipment will provide a mobile resource that will visit young people in the community. In particular the buses will provide a link to local young people in rural and isolated areas of Bath. Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Cllr Chris Watt said: "I would like to add my congratulations. This is very good news for the area and the wider communities south of Bath, as well as the direct communities that Southside services. I am particularly pleased that this new venue will offer a secure site for the Bath boxing club and provide other sporting activities which will give young people the space to let off steam." Abby, a local young person who was part of the steering group that led on the myplace funding bid, said: “This is fantastic news - it is going to be great for the community and the young people who live in this area.” Total Award: £2,036,473 |