Young Peoples Services are celebrating after another successful bid for a Youth Investment Fund (YIF) project.
A Better Youth Spaces grant has been awarded to Higher Croft Children’s Centre for £69,344.00.
The centre which is based on Fishmoor Drive in Blackburn will be able to use the funding for renovation and new resources.
YPS intend to repurpose underutilised spaces including a first-floor renovation, creating two universal youth work spaces and on the ground floor the development of a sensory space for the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) cohort.
New resources include creative music and podcasting, outdoor education, sports and games, and specialist SEND resources.
Councillor Julie Gunn, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education said:
"We are really excited about the Better Youth Spaces funding, and it has arrived at the perfect time.
The area has benefitted from substantial new house building, with a growing community hence the need for youth provision in this neighbourhood.
Like the Family Hubs model, we want to develop the Children’s Centre network and create opportunities for supporting both families and young people in one building."
Young People's Services work with young people aged 8 to 18 years and up to 25 with SEND across Blackburn with Darwen providing targeted youth support, a SEND inclusion project, youth voice and participation projects – as well as commissioning a range of universal services via a range of local youth organisations.
Locally through the support of Youth Investment Fund, young people are gaining access to safe places, trusted support, and great opportunities to thrive. This includes Darwen Youth Centre and Audley and Queen’s Park Children’s Centre.
As well as a multi-million-pound post 16 Special Educational Needs centre in Blackburn town centre.
Deputy Youth MP Arianna Sultana said:
"As a young person, I believe increased youth space funding is essential for improving our local children’s centre because it plays such an important role in shaping our confidence, wellbeing, and sense of community.
Too many young people don’t have safe, inspiring places where they can learn new skills, access support, or simply spend time with friends away from pressure or stress. By investing in the children’s centre, we can create a space that truly reflects the needs of young people today: somewhere welcoming, creative, and accessible to everyone.
Better facilities and more opportunities would not only give us positive activities to get involved in, but also help us feel valued and listened to. Funding this space is an investment in our futures, our skills, our mental health, and the strength of our community."
The aim is for the work to start in the new year with £45k of the award for capital building works and the remainder for new resources.
Better Youth Spaces is a £30.5m Government grant fund to support youthwork in key areas in England, administered by Social Investment Business (SIB).
Nick Temple, CEO for Social Investment Business, that manages 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."