LOCAL MP WELCOMES GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN WINSFORD YOUTH CENTRE

Edward Timpson, MP for Eddisbury, has welcomed the news that Winsford will benefit from £126,482 as part of the Government’s long-term investment in youth centres nationwide.

The money is being awarded to Winsford Youth & Community Forum and its New Images Youth & Community Centre on Nixon Drive. New Images directly delivers projects and sessions for those aged 8 to 19 through family learning days and regular youth clubs.

Their activities include community music-making, holiday play schemes, youth anti-social behaviour avoidance projects, and canoeing at Winsford Marina.

Youth centres play a crucial role in creating more opportunities for young people to gain the skills needed to succeed in life, and engage those most in need. These include children and teenagers who might otherwise be at risk of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour and gangs, or falling out of education, training, or employment.

That is why the Government is investing more than £90 million to support nearly 20,000 more young people annually—including those in Winsford—in accessing new state-of-the-art facilities, such as workshop spaces, sports halls, arts rooms, recording studios, and skateparks.

Significantly, the Government’s Youth Investment Fund is investing in areas that are most in need, and where current provision is too low to deliver support to those who need it most.

This announcement forms part of the Government’s ambition to ensure young people are supported with positive and engaging opportunities—both within and outside of school hours—and £250 million of the £349 million Youth Investment Fund has now been allocated.

The Government is sticking to its plan to create more opportunities for young people to gain the skills they need to succeed in life, delivering on its promise of a brighter future for all.

Edward Timpson CBE KC, Member of Parliament for Eddisbury, commented:

“Youth centres like New Images in Winsford play a crucial role in supporting young people in Cheshire—especially those who might otherwise fall through the cracks or begin engaging in anti-social behaviour.

“And so I welcome this new £126,482 grant from the Youth Investment Fund to the Winsford Youth & Community Forum as the Government continues to support young people growing up in Eddisbury.

“By sticking with this plan, thousands of young people across our county and country will continue to gain the vital skills needed to succeed in life, succeed in the workplace, and succeed in delivering a brighter future for this generation—and those to come.”

Secretary of State for Culture, the Rt Hon Lucy Frazer MP, said:

“I want to see every young person have someone to talk to, something to do, and somewhere to go outside the classroom—no matter where they are from—to help maximise their potential.

“This money from the Youth Investment Fund will help nearly 20,000 more young people achieve this goal. I’m delighted that many in Winsford will benefit.

“We have now committed to building or refurbishing over 220 projects in some of the country’s most underserved areas, and are creating more opportunities for young people to gain the skills needed to succeed in life—by stopping them from falling through the cracks.”

• Winsford Community Youth Forum Limited is a charity (no. 517406) and company (no. 01976247) registered in England which operates the New Images Youth & Community Centre at Nixon Drive, Winsford, CW7 2HG. Their website contains further information about their work, and can be found online at www.wycf.co.uk. They are receiving £126,482.00 from the Government in the latest round of its Youth Investment Fund.

• The Government is investing more than £90 million to build or refurbish 140 more youth centres across the UK. This investment of more than £90 million from the Government’s Youth Investment Fund will build or renovate 140 more youth centres across the country (DCMS, Press Release, 3 February 2024).

• The Government is delivering funding to support nearly 20,000 young people in accessing new state-of-the-art facilities. This investment will enable almost 20,000 young people to access new state-of-the-art facilities—including workshop spaces, sports halls, art rooms, recording studios, and skateparks (DCMS, Press Release, 3 February 2024).

• The latest round of funding comes as the first new-build youth centre funded by the Youth Investment Fund has opened. Located in a deprived area with high levels of anti-social behaviour, the Government has allocated over £420,000 to build a brand new space to support more than 120 young people (DCMS, Press Release, 3 February 2024).

• The Government has allocated £250 million of the £349 million Youth Investment Fund budget. The  Government has allocated £250 million of its £349 million budget to services in areas of the country where need is high and provision is low (DCMS, Press Release, 3 February 2024).

• Today’s announcement from the Youth Investment Fund forms the latest part of the Government’s National Youth Guarantee—to ensure that every young person is able to acquire the skills needed to succeed in life. The National Youth Guarantee aims to ensure every young person aged 11–18 in England has regular access to clubs and activities, adventures away from home, and volunteering opportunities by 2025—backed by an investment of over £500 million (DCMS, Press Release, 3 February 2024).