Charity in talks to establish 12 more youth zones
Joe Lepper
Friday, January 19, 2018
Talks are in progress over the development of up to 12 more youth zones across the country, potentially taking the total number to 26, it has emerged.
Charity OnSide Youth Zones has already helped to establish nine youth zones in Bolton, Blackburn, Carlisle, Manchester, Oldham, Wigan, Wiral, Warrington and Wolverhampton.
A further four have planning permission and are in development, with a youth zone in Chorley set to open in May this year, and three in London, in Barking and Dagenham, Barnet and Croydon, to open in early 2019.
In addition, plans are at an advanced stage to build a second Manchester youth zone.
The charity has now revealed that a further 12 youth zones are in the pipeline, bringing the total of youth zones open or under consideration to 26.
If all of the youth zones come to fruition, it would bring Onside more than a quarter of a way to its aim of creating 100 youth zones across England within a generation.
The charity has warned, however, that the figure of 12 youth zones in the pipeline may change, as in order to progress, each project requires its local council to commit to £3m in capital funding. Without this financial support the youth zone plans cannot proceed.
The charity said that youth zone proposals have already been knocked back by a number of councils on the premise that youth service cuts in recent years have meant they cannot afford to support a local youth zone.
OnSide has been working to establish youth zones, which are designed to provide state-of-the-art facilities for eight- to 19-year-olds, as well as those aged up to 25 with a disability, since 2008.
They offer seven-day access to a range of youth, sports, arts, health and career services.
Kathryn Morley, chief executive of OnSide, said: "Our growth is underpinned by a strong desire amongst local authorities to innovate in the provision of universal youth services.
"Our own research highlights the importance they place on investing in this area and that many are looking at new models to overcome funding challenges.
"The philanthropic community partnership approach we adopt helps councils unlock significant additional capital and revenue streams, enabling them to deliver high-quality provision in a manner that is sustainable and community-led.
"The model aims to create an interlocking relationship between the public, private and voluntary sectors as well as the communities themselves. Each stakeholder has a vital role to play in financing and operating the youth zone so that provision remains aligned to the needs of a local area."
