Youth centre to be transformed after Council scoops £1.2m grant

The grant will pay for a much-needed major internal modernisation of the building, which dates from the 1950s and was last refurbished 30 years ago, enabling the centre to increase its range of activities and reach out to even more young people aged 13-19 across the town.

The Council’s Youth Services team bid for the money from the Youth Investment Fund, which aims to create, expand and improve local youth facilities and their services to achieve positive outcomes for young people, including improved mental and physical wellbeing and skills for life and work.

The main hall will undergo an extensive makeover and the sports hall – which hosts a variety of very popular sports sessions ranging from 5-aside and basketball to volleyball and cricket – will be completely refurbished, including new flooring and ventilation.

The existing kitchen area will be remodelled and a coffee bar created, providing a safe social space for the young people to enjoy.

A new, separate training kitchen will also be installed, where the young people will be able to learn skills such as cooking, cleaning, washing and budgeting, helping them to prepare for independent living as adults.

The upper floor, which is currently not used by the Youth Services, will become a new emotional wellbeing space where young people will be able to receive one-to-one support from a qualified youth worker.

Options are being explored for relocating Oscars out-of-school club, which currently uses the upper floor.

The refurbishment will start in the summer and is expected to be completed by early next year.

Zoe McKenna, the Council’s Youth, Education and Pathway Strategy Lead, said: “This is an absolutely fantastic result for the young people who use the centre.

“They worked closely with us to shape the bid around the improvements they wanted to see, and they will continue to play a key role as the work progresses.

“It will completely transform the centre, making better use of space and creating a much more welcoming environment and enabling us to offer an even wider range of activities and support to young people across Hartlepool. We can’t wait for the work to start.”

Georgia Robson, Hartlepool’s Member of the UK Youth Parliament, who was involved in the bid, said: “Now more than ever it is important that we as young people have a fit for purpose space that we can call our own, where we can meet our friends, socialise with others and seek support when we need it from our youth workers.

“It has been a privilege to work on this bid and help bring this money to our town.”

Sally Robinson, the Council’s Director of Children’s and Joint Commissioning Services, said: “This is marvellous news - congratulations to the Youth Services team and the young people for putting together this inspiring bid.

“This will create a centre fit for the 21st century where young people across the town can meet and enjoy lots of great activities, learn new skills as they grow into young adults and, if they need it, receive one-to-one advice and support from the fantastic youth workers.

”I’m really looking forward to seeing the building again after its transformation.”