New £9.5 million YMCA Youth campus opens

A new Youth Campus built by YMCA North Staffordshire opens on Tuesday, January 3, 2012.

The £9.5 million state of the art YMCA Youth Campus represents the start of a new era for the YMCA and the people who use its facilities.

The complex provides first class learning and sports facilities along with new independent living apartments for young people who are ready to move on from the YMCA hostel accommodation.

The new sports centre and conference facilities are fully open to the public.

Danny Flynn, Chief Executive of YMCA North Staffordshire, said: 

“For some years now the YMCA in Stoke-on-Trent has been moving from an accommodation service to a development service.

“This new complex will change the whole feel of our service and allow us to bring hope to scores of young people who may have not had the best starts in life.”

The Youth Campus – next to the YMCA’s Edinburgh House tower block, in Harding Road, Hanley – will benefit city residents as well as people being looked after by the YMCA.

The Youth Campus includes:

• A library
• A learning zone
• Meeting facilities
• A gym
• Large sports hall
• A climbing wall

It was funded by the Government’s myplace programme following a bid by Stoke-on-Trent City Council on behalf of the YMCA.

The building has been designed to meet the highest environmental standards and incorporates a bio mass heating system.

Danny said: “The facilities will be open to the public and we have had interest from sports teams who need facilities for winter training.

“Members of the public will be able to enrol as gym members, so I am sure our facilities will be well used by residents living in Hanley and Shelton.

“By inviting the public in, we aim to make the YMCA a hub for the whole community and to raise awareness of the work we do to help young people build a better future.”

The new accommodation block has been built by Seddon Construction in partnership with Streif Sustainable Building Systems. 

Both parts of the new development have been built to the highest environmental standards with innovations such as rainwater harvesting to flush toilets and low energy lighting. All excavated materials have been reused on site and all timber has come from sustainable sources.

The Youth Campus has been funded through the myplace programme which was run by the Government Department of Children, Schools and Families with support from the Big Lottery Fund.