W L A ‘ HIVE ’ OF ACTIVITY AS £ 6M WIRRAL YOUTH ZONE COUNTS DOWN TO OPENING …
W L A ‘ HIVE ’ OF ACTIVITY AS £ 6M WIRRAL YOUTH ZONE COUNTS DOWN TO OPENING …
Have you recently driven past the fire station in Birkenhead and seen the eye-catching , black and red building standing tall ? Maybe you heard football legend John Barnes rapping about ‘ The Hive ’, but wondered what he was actually rapping about ? Did you read November ’ s edition of Wirral Life ?
All can be revealed …. an OnSide Youth Zone is coming to Wirral in just a few months ’ time . Wirral Youth Zone , branded ‘ The Hive ’ by local young people , is now into its 100 day countdown to opening and with the build of the Youth Zone edging towards completion and with work now well underway on the interior elements of the £ 6m facility , Wirral is excited to join the other seven OnSide Youth Zones across the country come April when it officially opens !
The Hive , located on Bright Street in Birkenhead , will offer a multitude of activities , at least 20 per evening to be exact for 8-19 year olds or up to 25 with a disability . From football , boxing and a state-of-the-art gym , to music , drama and even a salon developed by Andrew Collinge ! Not to forget the imperative employability , enterprise and mentoring sessions - Wirral Youth Zone will have it all and all for just 50p per visit with a £ 5 annual membership . It will offer 21st century youth provision that has not been seen in Wirral before .
The Hive will help raise the aspirations , improve the health and well-being and enhance the prospects of an anticipated membership of over 3,000 young people across Wirral . You may be thinking ‘ It will never attract 3000 members ’, but if the sustainability and success of other OnSide Youth Zones is anything to go by , it will exceed the target . Research has proven that young people WILL travel for miles if ‘ the offer ’ is good enough .
For every £ 1 spent a Youth Zone ’ s cost benefits ratio delivers £ 2 of social investment with 89 % of young people saying they feel more confident and 70 % exercising more as a result . The Youth Zone is even proven to reduce Anti- Social behaviour in its area of existence with Wigan Youth Zone ( 77 %) and The Factory in Manchester ( 51 %) the prime examples of that .
So how is it being funded ? The Hive ’ s capital cost ( approx . £ 6million ) is being funded by Wirral Council and a number of other funders including The Queen ’ s Charity , The Queen ’ s Trust , who is keen to see Wirral ’ s young people live healthier , happier lives . The Hive will cost £ 1million per year to run and this will be through a combination of public sector and private sector funding . Over the last few months , 50 % of the running costs has virtually been secured through the incredible generosity of the local business community . Revenue support has already been pledged by : Urenco UK , Boulting Group , Altrad NSG , The Contact Company , Selwyn-Lloyd Charitable Trust , John Syvret CBE , Peter & Geoffrey Bibby , Cammell Laird , Edward Billington & Son Ltd , Anne Duchess of Westminster ' s Charity , B & M Waste Services , Andrew Collinge Hairdressing , Park Group and West Wallasey Car Hire .
The charity is keen to attract further support . Becoming a Founder Patron of The Hive is a chance for the local businesses and philanthropists to make a difference to the lives of young people and the future of a prospering region . Their endorsement , support and investment in the future of the borough ’ s young people will create a legacy for generations to come and serve to encourage others to follow suit . For more information about how to get involved please contact : Stuart Barnes on 07734 217916 or email stuart . barnes @ thehiveyouthzone . org .
A Board of Trustees , headed by Cammel Laird ’ s chief executive John Syvret CBE alongside the Council help ensure the new charity , delivers for the young people of Wirral . However , the day-to-day management of the Youth Zone is the responsibility of a small team of professional staff , headed up by Chief Executive , Stuart Barnes . Stuart has already recruited his core staff , from Head of Youth Work and Volunteer and Training Manager , to sport and art leaders . In total the Youth Zone will recruit 50 full time staff and over 100 volunteers ! If you are interested in volunteering in anything from sport and arts to admin and catering work email Sam Curley on : sam . curley @ thehiveyouthzone . org .
As the day ’ s tick down until opening , there will be lots going on from engaging with existing providers and schools in the area , to time capsule competitions and the young people of Wirral designing the interior elements of the Youth Zone . Young people are the forefront of everything . It ’ s a Youth Zone created by young people , for young people . If you are interested in getting involved in any activities , email Head of Youth Work Adam Mellor on : adam . mellor @ thehiveyouthzone . org
Simply keep a look out on www . thehiveyouthzone . org and find out for yourself the positive and aspirational impact this facility will have on thousands of lives in Wirral come April 2017 .
20 wirrallife . com