A new youth zone is set to be built in Crewe - following an initial £2 million investment that has been secured for a car park site in the town centre.

The new Crewe Youth Zone will be constructed at Oak Street Car Park - with a target completion of 2025.

Youth Zones are state-of-the-art spaces for young people filled with incredible facilities and staffed by highly skilled youth workers that believe in young people to help them to achieve their potential.

A new partnership for the Youth Zone has been formed between national youth charity Onside, Crewe Town Board and Cheshire East Council.

An initial £2 million has been secured for the Crewe Youth Zone so far (Crewe Nub News).

They aim to use their combined experience and skills to dramatically expand the opportunities available to young people in Crewe, through the creation of a brand-new Youth Zone.

The council welcomes the plans for the Youth Zone in the heart of Crewe.

Cheshire East aims to improve the offering of town centres across the borough, through the creation of accessible hubs for the local community.

The Crewe Youth zone will create up to 70 full and part time jobs for the area, as well as up to 100 volunteering opportunities.

It will be based around Onside's seemingly successful model, which has seen the charity develop 14 similar Youth Zones across the country.

The closest Onside Youth Zone to Crewe is the newly-built Warrington Youth Club, 29 miles away.

The £6.9 million investment has undergone a 'soft opening' and will officially launch this July.

Aimed at young people between eight and 19, or up to 25 with those with additional needs, the zone will open seven days a week and support approximately 4,000 young people in the local area.

The £6.9 million Warrington Youth Zone opens in 2022 (Warrington Youth Zone).

Members of the Youth Zone will have the opportunity to access over 20 activities every night.

This will range from sports such as football, climbing and boxing, to creative arts, music, drama and employability training - costing 50p per visit and a £5 annual membership.

Trained youth workers and dedicated volunteers will be available seven days a week to offer guidance and support to help Crewe's young people to thrive.

Onside believes all young people should have the opportunity to discover their passion and purpose in life.

The charity plans to develop the new state-of-the-art, multimillion-pound Crewe Youth Zone, as it does in all communities nationwide.

Once completed, the facility will be handed over to a new and independent 'Crewe Youth Zone' charity.

In case you missed it: Business plan to be prepared for new Crewe Youth Zone at town centre car park.

The new Youth Zone will be funded by a combination of funding through the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities via the Crewe Towns Fund Board, (subject to government approval), Cheshire East Council (funding agreed in February 2022) and private sector donations.

The Department for Levelling up has released upfront development funding for projects, including the Crewe Youth Zone, and has enabled work to begin on the design.

It aims for submission of a planning application by late 2022 and is working towards opening the facility in 2025.

A climbing wall at Warrington Youth Zone. Crewe Youth Zone would have one similar (Warrington Youth Zone).

Onside is seeking the support of local businesses, philanthropists and the local community to get behind the project and together raise the remaining building and running costs to develop the Youth Zone.

Chief Executive at Onside, Kathryn Morley told Nub News: "We are extremely grateful to Cheshire East Council and Crewe Town Board for showing its belief in Crewe's young people and supporting the new Youth Zone.

"Youth zones are inspirational places that give young people countless opportunities, from meeting new friends, to finding passions and talents.

"This is the start of an exciting journey and the Onside team is already hard at work with local partners to turn it into a reality."

Crewe Youth Zone is targeted to be an asset to the community - complimenting other local services that support young people in the area.

A boxing ring at East Manchester Youth Zone. Crewe Youth Zone would have one similar (Onside).

Councillor Kathryn Flavell, lead member for children and families at Cheshire East Council said: "The proposed Youth Zone in Crewe is a much-needed facility for our young people and supports our regeneration plans for the town centre.

"We know that that the project was part of a successful Crewe Towns Fund bid which saw the town allocated to up to £22.9 million from the government.

"The £2 million of this has been identified for the Youth Zone, which is a fantastic first step to securing the estimated £8.4 million needed to develop the Youth Zone facility,

"We believe that children and young people are best supported within their local communities, and we welcome this launch for additional funding by our partner Onside.

"We're working hard to improve social, emotional and mental health and wellbeing services and I believe that by working together, we can provide a sustainable youth service for generations to come."

The participation of local young people to deliver a vibrant Youth Zone facility for Crewe will be crucial. 

A Young People's Development Group will make several key decisions for the Youth Zone, from branding the Youth Zone to interviewing potential staff members.

A sports hall at Barking & Dagenham Youth Zone. Crewe Youth Zone would have one similar (Piperhill Construction).

For more information around the development of Crewe Youth Zone, please visit HERE

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