Grant funding and sponsorships from business set to provide backbone of financial support for new Peterborough Youth Zone

At the most recent cabinet meeting last Tuesday (July 21), a vote was taken to progress with plans for a new Youth Zone in the city, likely on the Embankment close to the Key Theatre.

The new facility – which will provide safe places to socialise, play sports, learn skills, get support, and take part in activities outside school hours, will be operated by OnSide with support funding having to be found from other avenues.

OnSide currently run 15 other Youth Zones across the country and invited councillors to Barnsley to see their operation in recent weeks.

Peterborough City Council’s Cabinet approved the next stage of the scheme, which saw £410,000 worth of council funding set aside to help progress designs through the planning phase.

The council’s papers have said that the capital funding to build a youth zone is circa £13.5m, which includes professional construction and fit out fees.

The yearly cost to run a Youth Zone is estimated to be £1.5m.

Speaking on the latest edition of the Ask The Cabinet podcast, Leader Shabina Qayyum revealed more about how the development is expected to be funded, with grant funding and sponsorships from businesses hoped to provided to provide the bulk of running and construction costs.

Cllr Qayyum said: “There is going to be grant funding available that can contribute to nearly 100% of the build.

“OnSide run around 15 of these youth zones around the country and there is yet to be a single one that has closed down.

“The business model that has been presented to us relies quite a bit on grant funding that comes through regularly from central government as well as sponsorships from businesses.

“It really is a collaborative piece of work between organisations in the city, which work for the best interests of young people and contribute to their futures.

“I know that in our city, there are no shortage organisations that are interested in running something like this.

"In Barnsley, for a year, membership is a nominal fee of £5. To get into the Youth Zone is just 50p. Nobody is turned away either and hot meals are only £1. Children who can’t pay still don’t go without and that is an example of how wonderful that model is.

"It is all based on good will as well as sponsorships from organisations and businesses.

Speaking of how impressed she was with her visit to the Barnsley Youth Zone, Cllr Qayyum added: “It was a completely different world. There was a plethora of different activities that are useful to children. There are volunteers on site looking after the children and a range of activities around emotional health and wellbeing, there was a climbing wall, there was a sports hall and there were children from all backgrounds interacting and enhancing their confidence.

“We had children welcoming us into their space and that symbolised that these youth zones enhance the skills of children, they are learning life skills in the gym, in the home economics lab, the were being taught resilience and self-defence. There is so much on offer.

“It will give an additional offer to our existing youth clubs and there is something there for everyone. We will hand over the space to the families and children using it and say ‘this is your youth zone, do as you want with it.”