Construction has begun on a state-of-the-art youth hub based in Leys Pool & Leisure Centre in Blackbird Leys.
The hub is aimed at giving young people new opportunities to enhance their wellbeing, have fun and grow their self-confidence.
A grant of £1.1m from the UK Government’s Youth Investment Fund will pay for the build of the youth centre. The new space will benefit both young people and the local community and means more young people can be supported.
Construction contractors ODS started the building work on site on Monday 23 September. The work is due to complete by Spring 2025.
The project is a collaboration between Oxford City Council’s Youth Ambition services and Oxfordshire County Council’s Targeted Youth Support Service (TYSS). The occasion was marked by a ground-breaking ceremony at the leisure centre on Thursday 26 September. Young people and councillors were in attendance to show their support, including City Councillor Chewe Munkonge, Cabinet Member for A Healthy Oxford and County Councillor John Howson, Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Young People’s services.
The Blackbird Leys Youth Hub will provide critical support services and activities aimed at driving positive outcomes for young people in Oxford, including improved mental and physical wellbeing, and skills for life and work.
The project will see:
- Social areas, quiet rooms, a kitchen, music and digital space and a climbing wall
- An additional £223k of funding towards the provision of three youth workers and a co-ordinator for the first year.
The work builds on Oxford City Council's Youth Ambition and Oxfordshire County Council’s Targeted Youth Support already very active services in the area and there is a view to work with a variety of partners within the area to enable the project to become sustainable in the long term.
The Youth Investment Fund grant means that more young people across Oxford can look forward to new opportunities to make new friends, explore their passions, and gain valuable skills for life and work. The Youth Investment Fund is funded by the UK Government and is delivered by Social Investment Business in partnership with Resonance, Key Fund and National Youth Agency.
Young people supported by Youth Ambition and TYSS played a key role in shaping this exciting new project. The anticipated programme of youth work activities includes opportunities such as cooking, climbing, music, technology and many others, and is expected to evolve as the programme develops.
"The Youth Hub will change my life a lot because I don’t do many things at the moment. I’m mostly excited about the art, and also the cooking. When it opens, I’ll most likely come all the time."
Amena, Young Person from Blackbird Leys
"I think I could get more support at the youth hub, especially if there are other people my age there from other schools – I don’t really talk to people from other schools, so the fact it’s a community space is really good. My best friend currently, I met at an after-school community girls youth club. So many new friendships could be founded at the Youth Hub."
Imelda, Young Person from Blackbird Leys
“It’s fantastic to see work starting on this much-anticipated new resource, especially in place alongside our newly refurbished leisure centres. The youth hub will allow young people in the Leys to build their skills and confidence right within their own community. We’re excited to see how this hub will positively impact both their development and the wider community. The support of youth workers will be invaluable in helping young people flourish, providing them with the guidance and opportunities they need to succeed.”
Councillor Chewe Munkonge, Cabinet Member for a Healthy Oxford, Oxford City Council
“I am pleased that work has now begun on this eagerly awaited youth hub. The new facility will provide a place for young people to gain confidence, develop new skills, and have their own community space to socialise, have fun, and prosper. I am looking forward to seeing the completed centre in the new year.”
Councillor John Howson, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services
The Youth Investment Fund is a fund of over £300 million created to transform youth services in some of the country’s most underserved areas of England, giving new life-changing opportunities for thousands of young people.
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