Warrington Youth Zone: New generation youth clubs are transforming youngsters lives

The day started with a parade from the Town Hall and through the town centre before reaching the Youth Zone at 11am. As the sun shone down, the ribbon was cut by Youth Zone volunteer Juan Pujol, Warrington Borough Council Chief Executive Professor Steven Broomhead, Warrington Youth Zone trustee and funder Chris Purslow and 16-year-old member Amy Harding.

Young people and their families were then treated to an action-packed community fun day, with all the Youth Zone’s activity spaces open – these include a giant climbing wall, music room and recording suite, rooftop 3G pitch, dance studio, gym, four-court sports hall, multimedia room, boxing and martial arts gym, teaching kitchen, hairdressing studio, plus so much more. The centre has everything a young person needs to thrive!

CEO, Dave McNicholl, said, “It has been the most incredible and emotional day. I want to say a huge thank-you to everyone who joined us for our celebration.

“To have over 1,000 young people signed up as members on day one is incredible. We’re now open to them seven days a week – offering them over 20 activities each time they visit.

“We were also really lucky to be joined by so many of our wonderful funders, including Warrington Borough Council. They have been an integral part of our journey and we can’t thank them enough.”

The four-hour celebration also included food and live entertainment before it concluded at 3pm and the Youth Zone’s programme kicked off with its first senior session for young people aged 12 and upwards.

For more information on the wide range of sessions available at Warrington Youth Zone for different age groups and those with additional needs, please visit: https://warringtonyouthzone.org/

OnSide

OnSide, is a national charity determined to make sure that all young people have the opportunity to shine, the chance to discover their passion and their purpose.

They fund, build, launch and support a network of state-of-the-art, multimillion-pound Youth Zones in the UK’s most disadvantaged areas. These are incredible spaces filled with energy, inspiration and highly skilled youth workers who truly believe in young people. They support youngster by boosting their confidence, friendships, and job opportunities.

They involve a partnership between young people and their community, local authorities and private business leadership, and a growing movement of supporters. Together, they believe that all young people need is a chance to discover what they’ve got and where it could take them.

What makes OnSide Youth Zones unique:

• Open 7 days a week including evenings, weekends, and schools holidays.
• Over 20 activities on offer each session, including sports, music, media, dance, drama and much more.
• Kitted out with state-of-the-art facilities.
• Staffed by skilled and dedicated youth workers who really care, supported by a team of committed volunteers.
• Open to all young people with a typical membership of 4,000 young people aged 8 to 19 (up to 25 for those with additional needs) with 100 to 250 young people attending every session.
• Delicious hot meals available from £1 at the café.
• Youngsters pay £5 annual membership fee, then 50p every time they visit.
• Provide targeted support both in house and through external specialist services, creating a seamless link between the Youth Zone and local services.

For more information, please visit: https://www.onsideyouthzones.org/

OnSide’s Metro Feature

A recent article published by Metro enlightens readers on the impact of these Onside Youth Zones and their potential to transform young people’s lives for the better through exclusive case studies and interviews of those who run and attend these incredible spaces.

To read the full article, please visit: The 21st century youth clubs turning young lives around | Metro News.