Preston youth zone ‘to be built by next summer’

Preston’s long-awaited youth zone is expected to be built by next summer and open just months later, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands.

The £11m facility – to be known as The Vault – is currently taking shape opposite the city’s bus station.

The charity behind the development has also now moved into a temporary office on Glover’s Court in the city centre, from where the project will be co-ordinated until the building itself is ready to be occupied.

Once construction is complete – but ahead of the official opening – there are plans to stage a series of taster sessions for the young people it is hoped The Vault will attract, along with open days for the whole community.

OnSide, which runs 15 youth zones across the country, told the LDRS it will be recruiting dozens of full and part-time youth workers over the coming year.   Volunteers will also be invited to help out at the Preston facility and the search will soon begin for someone to oversee that aspect of its work. Anybody who wants to find out more about any aspect of the project is being encouraged to call in at the new office.

Around 40 percent of the steel frame of the two-storey Vault building is already in place, with the remainder set to be fixed in position by the end of next month ahead of the brickwork beginning.

The young people’s development group, which was formed to make a number of key decisions in relation to the scheme – and was responsible for creating the shortlist of names for the youth zone which was put to a public vote earlier this year – has now made an even more literal mark on the proceedings.  Its members were recently invited to the Garstang base of manufacturers Leach Steel to sign some of the girders that will be used in the construction of the facility.

Vault Youth Zone CEO Tim Jacques said the project, which was first mooted more than a decade ago, was now at a “really exciting stage – both in terms of the building and also behind the scenes”.

He added:   “We are offering young people two very important things – an incredible building with countless activities and opportunities and a team of dedicated staff members whose collective job is to ensure we give them all the support they deserve and unlock the potential within them.

“I can’t wait to see the building rise out of the ground and to recruit the brilliant people who will fill it with fun, passion and aspiration.”

Amongst the attractions on offer at The Vault will be a music room and recording studio, performing arts space, climbing wall, gym – and a separate area with boxing and martial arts facilities – a four-court sports hall, indoor 3G pitch, a health and wellbeing room, a ‘maker zone’ providing creative opportunities, and a multimedia room with podcast recording kit.  A café will also be part of the set-up, serving hot meals for just £1.

Young people attending will pay a £5 annual membership and 50p per visit.   Up to 2,000 youngsters per week are expected to attend the state-of-the-art site – with as many as 300 visiting at any one time.

OnSide is continuing to fundraise for the £1.5m annual running costs of the facility.  The building has been funded with a contribution from Preston’s share of the government’s Towns Fund, support from the city council and £6.2m from the nationwide Youth Investment Fund.

The Eric Wright Charitable Trust is amongst other supporters of the project.