£22 million in Youth Investment Fund grants awarded to build new youth centres using Modern Methods of Construction
£22 million in Youth Investment Fund grants have been awarded to 16 youth services to build 22 new youth facilities in England using ‘modern methods of construction’ (MMC). The Youth Investment Fund grantees benefiting from the funding include youth services delivered by Scout Groups, other youth services, and community groups, as well as local authority projects across multiple sites, in some of the most deprived and under-served parts of England.
Youth services benefitting from the Youth Investment Fund MMC grants include services in Cambridgeshire, County Durham, Gloucestershire, Greater London, Greater Manchester, Hampshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Merseyside, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, South Yorkshire and West Yorkshire.
The new youth facilities are being built using modern methods of construction to achieve savings on facility running costs, so that resources can focus on activities that enrich young people’s lives. Using modern method of construction is fast-paced and typically means that large sections of a building are manufactured in a factory and transported to site pre-built.
Thanks to the rapid construction times, the first of the projects is already nearing completion. Corner House Youth Project, based in Stockton on Tees – one of the services to benefit from the MMC Youth Investment Fund programme – has already had its building constructed and craned into position. The youth project has been delivering high quality open access youth work and youth outreach for over 20 years. The funding will be used to build the Newtown Community Resource Centre, to enable them to support more young people as well as providing an office base for their youth work and outreach team.
Manchester City Council has been awarded funding for six partner-led youth services, including Nacro Outdoor Learning Centre, in Wythenshawe Park, and N-Gage Catalyst Youth Centre in Northenden. Sheffield City Council’s grant will pay for two new youth spaces at Winn Gardens, Hillsborough and at Stannington Pavillion.
One of Manchester City Council’s delivery partners is N-Gage Catalyst, based in south Manchester.
Christie Spurling, CEO for N-Gage Catalyst Youth Centre, said:
“The last few years have been really challenging, and it’s been hard to deliver quality youth work from a space that’s not fit for purpose. Having a new purpose-built youth centre means we can create a space that truly meets all young people’s needs. We’ve got a great opportunity to engineer out all the issues we’ve had in the past and make intelligent use of the space.
The Youth Investment Fund will make a huge difference to young people; it means our youth work can be far more targeted, and it puts young people where they should be, at the centre of all we do. We can offer them a safe, warm, accessible and sustainable space that meets their needs and will enable us to do even more to help them reach their full potential.”
Kate Stewart, Youth Investment Fund Director at Social Investment Business, said:
“This is great news for youth services and young people. Even more young people will have new opportunities to thrive in high quality youth centres in some of the most deprived parts of the country. The YIF Modern Methods of Construction programme is an exciting and innovative project, and its fast-paced turnaround means that young people will soon be reaping the benefits.”
Kate Stewart added:
“The Youth Investment Fund has already delivered over 230 new or renovated youth facilities, and more are set to open their doors later this year. It’s transforming the youth work landscape and is a vote of confidence in young people, giving them new opportunities and access to trusted youth workers, in safe and modern spaces at the heart of communities that need it most.”
Modern methods of construction (MMC) is the practice of using manufacturing principles and processes to enhance the construction of buildings as an alternative to traditional construction processes. Despite the name, Modern methods of construction are surprisingly routine in the construction industry and have been in use in the UK for nearly a century. Some of the benefits of this approach include faster construction on-site, reduced site disruption, reduced vehicle movements around site, eliminating unnecessary waste and improving build quality.
From its inception, the Youth Investment Fund actively encouraged applications from projects utilising modern methods of construction and other innovative construction techniques to achieve savings on facility running costs, so that resources can focus on activities that enrich young people’s lives. During the first phase of the YIF MMC programme, each successful youth project was awarded a small revenue grant and support to help them carry out preparation and pre-construction works. The majority have now been awarded funding for a capital project.