£10k community hub set up for teenagers

The Youth Inclusion Hub at the centre, on Eden Avenue, will now see number of activities available for young people on the West View estate aged 13 to 18.

Aimed at improving life on the estate, scheme coordinators have been seeking the views of young people about how that can be achieved and the sort of activities they would like to see.

A key part of the scheme is that four residents from the estate are being trained up as youth workers and will eventually be able to lead the sessions. Activities will include courses for the young people, such as catering classes, which will help upskill them.

Shaun MacNeill, the vice chairman of West View Community Association, said: “The initiative first started as a means of providing activities for children who were too old for the Dream Scheme.

“It is all very positive and hopefully it will help make difference to people’s lives. We have commissioned UR Potential to support the project for the first six months of operation and help these four volunteers to develop their skills as youth workers.

“They will emerge with a Level Two youth work qualification at the end of the six months and it means residents can run things for themselves without needing funds to pay for external agencies.”

West View Community Association put in the bid with support from Tracy MacPhee, the community regeneration officer for Regenda Housing, the biggest housing group on West View. The £10,000 financial package came from the Community Foundation for Lancashire, a charity which funds community schemes.

Tracey McPhee said: “The idea is that the project can be sustainable and will continue when the fund is spent.”