In a major boost for young people, more than £3million will be given to renovate an eyesore building in Sandown and turn it into a youth hub.
The Isle of Wight Council will receive a total of £3,110,090 to renovate the former Sandown Town Hall building, which has stood empty for years.
Money has been allocated to the Isle of Wight Council as part of the distribution of £70million from the Government, with the initiative on the Island among 44 beneficiaries nationwide to benefit from the next phase of the Youth Investment Fund.
Back in May 2023, Island Echo reported that the Isle of Wight Council had put forward plans to create a new youth hub in the disused building, situated on Grafton Street in the town.
The town hall and former fire station, which is 150 years old, has previously played host to young people – its last occupant was Central Eltham youth project, which moved out in 2017.
The renovation of the existing building will offer different physical activity sessions for young people, and the youth hub on the lower level will offer quiet space where young people can study and access resources such as books, computers and free Wi-Fi.
The youth hub will open for drop-in sessions for support, mentoring activities and skills development or for a calm retreat. This will be open to all and available at select weekday times for not in education, employment or training (NEET) young people.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has said:
“I want every young person to have the opportunity to access the kinds of life-changing activities which expand their horizons and allow them to develop vital life skills.
“These next 44 youth centres will give 12,000 more young people the opportunity to access these activities, building on the first tranche of Youth Investment Fund investment that is seeing new projects like the Alt Valley Communiversity opening in Liverpool and support for Scouts and Girlguiding groups to reduce their waiting lists.
“We will make sure every young person has someone to talk to, something to do, somewhere to go.”
Does anyone seriously think that the feral youths of Sandown will be interested in a youth centre offering ‘quiet space where young people can study and access resources such as books, computers and free Wi-Fi’
Exactly right. Top councillors are like top people in Central Government. They haven’t a clue to what makes the “lower elements” tick.
These tax credit paid for low life have discovered early the joys of stealing alcohol, having sex, taking drugs, vandalism for fun, stealing cars, motor bikes, and filming mates beating the innocent
NO authority provided youth services will come close to the unpunished deep joy they already have found
The rich don’t know them at all.
Well you are both wrong. Giving the young some attention and trying to meet their needs does work. Dismissing them all as feral does not. If you are not trying to provide solutions, then you are a part of the problem.
We know the ‘solution’ but society won’t accept it now that we have to keep trying to be even nicer, even more generous, ever more giving, in the vain hope that such people will gradually or suddenly ‘see’ kindness and, not as they do, see it as weakness to be exploited to the max, but as ‘hey’ someone cares about me’ and change their ways.
Good luck with that ploy at OUR expense, all been tried and failed.
At least putting such into an Army run boot camp for three years min, with no access unless supervised to even us a phone, would remove them from ruining others lives, and the deterrent would prevent a few, not all but some from carrying on the same.
Niceness only works on nice people.
But you THINK you know best, WRONG.
You are so very bitter and twisted Wilbur. That much hate really must take a toll on your health. Probably best to get back on your medication and watch a nature documentary. Then think about doing something constructive with your time.
Thank you for your fake concern, nice to know you are a expert in mental and bodily health, as well as on social problems with the young.
Perhaps during your absence you did a few courses on being an expert on such?
Maybe it might be wiser to look at the real problems, check out the type who do such, and check out the past time tired methods of dealing with such both in the past, and now, and accept BOTH harsh and soft never will cure such, but the former is cheaper, and has a deterrent value on those not too far gone.
But keep giving more, being ever nicer, and fail trying.
I’m sure everyone else agrees with you Wilbur/Robert Rushton/A Nutter. I am probably just an outlier. You seem to have a low opinion of all children. Are you personally being terrrorised by a child or are you just jumping on a band wagon?
Look I am sorry I wrote all of this but I forgot take my medication earlier and I can get very paranoid. I am usually very tolerant and loving.
Imagine how many bobbies on the beat the Island could buy for £3.1 million.
Stef, NOT all about number of Police, it is as wilbur has said, too many newcomers filling our jails to over capacity.
So we could employ ten times the amount of Police, and they could catch ten times the crims, BUT the courts can’t jail such as no room except for the very most serious now we house the worlds vilest.
So need to stop the ever increasing numbers coming, and return those who break laws after serving time to free up room.
Never again can meaningful sentences be given and the young and older crims KNOW IT, hence no fear, if the Police arrive as they have no job to loose, free house, their scattered clones fed and clothed by idiots like Lord Lucan, and us via stealth taxes and c.tax increases.
When was the last time you saw a bobby on the beat? They don’t like using their legs any more.
Not the Police fault, HMG have allowed in too many criminals and as jails full then more know that unless they commit the most awful crimes then no real deterrent or harsh sentence will EVER AGAIN be given in the UK.
They would achieve much more walking the beat.
IWC will the money be given or a loan, to be paid back by us ..
Why the F’cuk are Sandown charging persons 50p
to use the toilets outside the Sundial Cafe
No Soap or Water in the toilets.
What happened to the Governments message to wash hands to help
against Covid, that ball sh*t soon ended
Lol
I think this is great news and I know many younger people will benefit from the safe space to meet new friends and take part in activities and I wish more places could be renovated for the young to use on the Island.
Come on every one is this not good news. Please let it work. Regards to all. Lyn Fleming Shanklin Town Councillor and President of Shanklin Rotary.