Providing space and involvement for the younger community was always a high priority, so when the trust formed a youth committee in early 2020, it was always our intention to try and establish a primary youth facility in the town. So we started to look for a suitable that we could develop.
In October, Building 94 was identified. This building was the old army post room and sorting office, and is situated at the end of Budds lane, right opposite the skate park. Since then we have driven forward to turn this space into a building for the youth of the town.
We have initially worked with Oakmoor School and created a survey that enabled us to create a template of what activities our children want. It is our aim to expand this survey to all schools in the town, and to ensure we keep up to date with their ideas we will continue to work with them. To date we have had in excess of 300 responses to our survey.
The building itself requires some renovation to make it suitable and safe for all to use. We have negotiated a 5 year lease which is currently being drawn up and is due to be signed very soon. Contractors have appraised and priced the required work and this renovation work will commence in the next few weeks.
Our aim is simple. To provide a youth facility where young people can come along, participate and feel safe. We have already had approach from an organisation called S4K and we are currently in negotiations with them to provide a weekly club as well as school holiday club activities for the town.
This is an ambitious project which will come to open as soon as government guidelines and Covid restrictions allow us to do so,.