Last night (Thursday 25th June) saw the launch of the new Westvale Youth Centre in Kirkby, offering local youngsters a safe place to socialise, and the opportunity to get involved in a range of activities such as sports and arts along with accredited courses and awards such as Duke of Edinburgh.
The new centre has been designed to the specifications of the young people who will use it and was officially opened by Anne Weinstock, Director of the Youth Task Force. Young people showcased all the centre has to offer with DJing, rapping and an electric guitar performance on the staged area, while others surfed the net and created animation on the new suite of computers. Young people from the centre also prepared healthy snacks and ‘mocktails’ for the guests.
Knowsley’s ‘Big Deal Grants Panel’ made a symbolic presentation to the young people at the centre with a cheque for £80,000, the money was awarded to the centre in October 2008 and has been used to add value to the project through additional interior design and the purchase of equipment.
The purpose built facility includes an internet café, coffee bar, games area and chill out room with a stage for music events. The project was managed by 2020 Knowsley with interior design by Amspec Ltd and general contractor Gawne and Roberts Ltd. It replaces the old youth hall at Westvale Community Centre and for the first time, this centre will provide activities on Friday and Saturday evenings, as well as during the week.
Knowsley is one of 50 local authorities to benefit from the Government’s Youth Capital Plus Fund which brings young people and communities together to design and develop new facilities for young people. The fund will enable the development of more than 100 facilities and mobile units by March 2010, and is part of a larger programme of investment to improve the lives of young people, totalling over £1bn over the next two years.
Cllr Graham Wright, Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services said:
“The new Westvale Youth Centre offers young people in South Kirkby a great place to go; either relax with friends or get involved in one of the many activities on offer. There’s so much going on at the Center that there’s no reason for local youngsters to be bored or short of something positive to do.”
Dawn Primarolo, Minister for Children, Young People and Families said:
“Knowsley’s new youth centre will offer young people a good place to socialise, get advice and support from and provide exciting activities to get involved with.
“What’s great to see is that young people from Knowsley have contributed to this new centre. Government will continue to make youth provision a top priority - to help more young people get involved in the community and to provide them with somewhere fun to go to on Friday and Saturday evenings.”
Anne Weinstock, Director of the Youth Taskforce said: The Youth Capital Fund Plus is an example of the huge investment the government is making in the lives of young people and their communities, helping to prevent problems such as anti-social behaviour, under-age drinking and low level crime by offering young people safe places to go and interesting things to do... I would really encourage the young people in South Kirkby to go along to the new Westvale Youth Centre and find out what is on offer’.
Knowsley’s ‘Big Deal Grants Panel’ with Anne Weinstock at the launch.
(L-R: Amy Dahl, Wesley Brussels, Stacey Howard, Anthony McHugh, Anne Weinstock, Director of the Youth Taskforce, Jenna Young, Sam Roberts, Callie Roberts )
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