Thirteen Knowsley organisations will receive a share of more than three quarters of a million pounds to improve youth services in the Borough.
Knowsley Council, working in partnership with community organisations and key partners, has successfully secured a grant of just under £1 million from the Better Youth Spaces Programme for England, a £30.5m capital grants programme funded by the UK Government and administered by Social Investment Business.
The programme aims to bring fast-paced benefits to young people. It is funding small scale-capital projects of £5k-£100k, including capital equipment, small refurbishments and other capital projects to help youth organisations to better support the young people they work with.
Some outcomes are still pending however, so far in Knowsley, there are thirteen Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise organisations who provide youth provision who will receive funding to deliver small scale capital projects of up to £100,000.
This will include securing equipment to support youth activities and undertaking refurbishments that deliver improvements to youth spaces in order to help young people thrive in the borough.
The twelve organisations that will benefit from the Better Youth Spaces Programme are:
- Southdene Community Centre
- Westvale Community Centre
- Swanside Community Centre
- The Sensory Hive
- Halewood Youth in Community Centre (Boyzee)
- The Gate Community Centre
- Hillside Community Centre
- Eddie McCardle Playing Fields
- Bowring Park
- Karma in the Community
- Towerhill Community Hub
- Huyton ABC
- Explore Partnership
Cllr Graham Morgan, Leader of Knowsley Council said: “We are delighted to have secured this significant investment for our borough. The fund is designed to improve the reach, safety and accessibility of youth spaces and create tangible impact in the areas that need it most. By revitalising these twelve community hubs, we are ensuring that our young people have modern, high-quality environments where they can learn new skills, socialise safely, and truly thrive.”
Nick Temple, CEO for Social Investment Business, that leads the Better Youth Spaces fund, said: “We are excited to be partnering with
the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to support youth services in priority areas in England and create ‘better youth spaces’ for young people. Through a combination of funding refurbishment projects and providing new equipment, it will bring opportunities for young people to participate in a whole range of enrichment activities – across sports, music and cultural activities.
“The fund will also help to expand access, create safer spaces, and make youth services more sustainable. This is a real boost for youth services in some of the communities which need it most, creating lasting impact for young people’s wellbeing.”
Visit www.sibgroup.org.uk/funds/better-youth-spaces for more information.