The Swannery: A Place for All Young People

The Swannery, a brand-new youth club in Barton Hill, Bristol and funded by the Youth Investment Fund and National Lottery Community Fund, opened its door to young people in October 2024.

This summer, The Wellspring Settlement, held a special event to celebrate The Swannery and thank the young people who had helped with the development of the new youth club. They unveiled a plaque commending their contributions, which hangs proudly by the entrance, a reminder that the space was built by young people, for young people:

“This plaque celebrates the contributions of the young people of Barton Hill who helped the Wellspring Settlement with the design, planning and opening of the Swannery Youth Club in 2024. A place for all young people.”

Some of the Youth Investment Fund team were lucky enough to join the celebrations. When you first arrive at the Swannery (a pub called the Swan in a previous life) you are met with a beautiful and colourful wall to wall mural designed and funded by local artists. The artists approached the Wellspring Settlement to explore creating a mural. They worked with young people to make sure the design reflected their ideas and needs, as well as paying tribute to the building’s heritage.

The celebration was a jam-packed day filled with fun activities. The new building, gardens and adjoining spaces were filled with children, young people, supporters, funders, partners and people from the local community.

Luis, the youth worker coordinator at the centre, was in high demand, responding to every young person and getting involved in the games. The fun included water twister, sack races, giant tug of war, skipping, art and helping out with the barbecue. The new kitchen was a hive of activity, with some of the young people baking trays and trays of delicious cup-cakes and serving ice cream.

The Swannery was buzzing with life, and there are some lovely touches. The Wellspring Settlement is based in the heart of the city, and has a rich cultural mix, with families from all of the world. There’s a map, where young people are encouraged to add sticker to show where their family was from. And there’s a nod to the building’s heritage; the original dart board is still there and in use!

Beth Wilson, CEO of Wellspring Settlement, thanked everyone for joining the celebration. Beth told the story of the Swannery’s previous life as a pub. Way back in 2020 the pub approached Wellspring Settlement and asked if they wanted to buy it. The team talked to the local community to see what they thought. The message was loud and clear, they wanted a new space for just for young people. With the help of their supporters, they bought the building, but it was in a terrible state and needed major investment. Thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund and a Youth Investment Fund grant of over £796K, they could create their dream youth hub.

As soon as they got the word to go, the youth team and building contractors worked intensively with young people on their vision for the new space. This youth-led approach has been a thread through the whole development and is at the heart of everything that happens at the Swannery.