Lambton Street Youth Centre opens its doors after a major renovation

Sunderland’s young people and youth workers are celebrating and enjoying their newly restored Lambton Street Youth and Community Hub. A £785, 995.00 grant from the Youth Investment Fund has turned the youth centre into a modern, accessible, and sustainable community-focused facility. Young people, youth workers, and community members came together for a celebration event. Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness honoured the occasion by cutting the ribbon to mark the official opening.

Lambton Street Youth and Community Hub has been helping Sunderland’s young people since 1901. The youth hub is a lifeline for young people, serving a diverse population in a disadvantaged area of the country. The youth centre has a long history of collaborating with the police to counter youth crime and give young people every chance to thrive, gain valuable life skills and explore their passions. The newly refurbished youth centre means that even more young people will have somewhere safe to go and something fun to do.

Making dreams a reality
The youth centre’s renovation has been a three-year dream in the making. Young people have shaped their new space, they said they wanted sport to be a major feature, alongside new elements like street dance and music, and activities to boost mental health and wellbeing, to encourage more young people to join the space. The whole ethos of Lambton Street is about being inclusive and offering something fun for everyone, so every young person can enjoy the benefits.

The renovations include extending the space, improving its sustainability, and making it accessible to all, plus:

• A new soundproofed space for dance, aerobics, yoga, and other physical activities.
• New music facilities and activities.
• Transforming the gym, boxing and football space and upgrading sports equipment and storage.
• New modernised kitchen for training and catering, and encouraging young people to cook healthy meals.
• More space for more one to one counselling and support for young people with special education needs and disabilities.
• A new café for young people and wider community.
• Accessible showers and bathroom facilities.
• Installing new insulation, solar panels, and battery storage.

Tony Brewis added:

“Money is tight for many of the young people we see, so making sure they get a nourishing hot meal is a vital part of our offer. Now we’ve got a modern and accessible kitchen we can make sure no one goes hungry.

The Youth Investment Fund grant has made our dreams come true and created a fantastic hub for young people and the whole community to enjoy.”