All About Youth: Brand new youth centre for young people in Shrewsbury

SYA believes that all young people in Shropshire should have access to quality, affordable and appropriate youth provision, giving young people a chance to discover their confidence, make friends and create fond memories. Alongside SYA’s direct provision, SYA supports many youth clubs, groups and organisations across Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, providing children and young people with life changing opportunities.

Work on SYA’s ‘All about Youth’ new  HQ and youth hub is now complete. SYA are excited about the brand-new space in Shrewsbury and will be welcoming young people to the hub over the summer. The youth centre is bright, colourful and accessible and will be an inspiring new space to enable young people to have fun, make friends, take time out to chill and learn new skills for life and work. There’s also a large “HQ” office and training space for enabling the SYA team to deliver training and support to youth clubs across the country and beyond.

SYA – All About Youth’s new HQ, in Upton Lane, Shrewsbury, has been made possible with a £1.5 million Youth Investment Fund grant, funded by the Government and delivered by Social Investment Business in partnership with National Youth Agency, Resonance, and the Key Fund.

SYA are also hosting a special celebration event on 17 September so supporters and everyone in the local community gets a chance to see the amazing new space.

Claire Purcell, Community Engagement and Fundraising Manager at SYA, said:

“Construction work has now been completed and we are looking forward to getting installed in our amazing new HQ. It has taken less than a year since we moved out and we couldn’t be more pleased with how things have gone.”

“We are now working on plans for a celebratory business networking event on September 17 to thank supporters as well as provide the opportunity for people to look around the new building. It will run from 4pm-6pm and will include presentations from young people about the work that SYA does.”

“Now is also a good time to remind local businesses who would like to support SYA of the sponsorship opportunities that are still available at the new HQ. Various rooms and other areas can be sponsored – it’s a great way for businesses to get involved and make a real difference to the charity.”

“Several businesses have already come forward and we are extremely grateful for their support. Penguin MEP is sponsoring the main entrance, Fiveways Insurance Group the training room, Morris & Co the social area, West Bromwich Building Society the chill-out area, and CQS Solutions the creative area.”

Alex Swancott, Commercial Director at R1 Construction Ltd, said:

“This building sets a new benchmark for energy performance in buildings throughout Shropshire. Our team have worked closely with the team and PSG and SYA to deliver a project maximising the use of MMC and delivering some of the highest standards of energy performance and sustainability achievable. All of us at R1 are incredibly proud of this project and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the community for many years to come.”

PSG – a subsidiary of Shropshire Council – was commissioned as independent construction consultants to manage the new HQ building work with Shrewsbury-based R1 Construction contracted to carry out the project. Shropshire Council has provided SYA with a 99-year lease on the land for its new headquarters under the capital asset transfer scheme.