‘Hope and relief’ as seaside town’s last youth centre saved | Young people
The last remaining youth center in one of England’s poorest coastal areas has been saved from sale after a long campaign by the charity that has called it home for 13 years.
In November, the Guardian revealed that the centre, in Ramsgate on the Kent coast, was facing being auctioned off by Kent county council. an independent report The center is estimated to save the council more than £500,000 a year in costs, including on mental health, youth justice and social care services.
Cake Factory MusicThe charity, headquartered in the youth centre, has been providing a social space for eight to 25-year-olds for many years, but also offers services such as counselling, employment advice, life skills sessions, help for young refugees and creative and music projects.
Following the campaign, which started in September 2024, Pie Music Factory was able to acquire the freehold of Ramsgate youth centre. This is thanks in part to a £535,000 grant from Labour’s Pride in Place strategy, which aims to make significant investments in poor communities across the country.
“Knowing that our future in the building is secure fills us with hope and relief,” said Zoë Carassik, Pie’s general manager. “We are deeply grateful to the Pride in Place program and everyone who has helped us.”
But he said the government’s Youth Matters national strategy, unveiled at the end of last year, needed to come with real investment and “not just words” to stop this happening elsewhere.
“We shouldn’t have had to campaign to save Ramsgate youth centre, the last youth center in the area, in the first place,” he said. “This shouldn’t happen again.
“Youth provision shouldn’t be solely dependent on charities like us. That’s why we’re calling on local MPs and the communities minister to go further in strengthening legal protections for youth services and review councils’ legal duties to provide youth services,” he said.
a report Published by YMCA last year It found a 73% decline in youth services funding in England between 2010 and 2024, and a 6% annual decline in Wales. Labor announced in August it would invest £88 million in youth clubs and after-school activities.
The Guardian visited Ramsgate as part of its Against the Tides series, which explores the truth behind research showing young people in deprived coastal areas are three times more likely to be living with an undiagnosed mental health problem than their peers in equivalent inland locations. another Report from University College London found that lack of youth services and space is a significant problem in coastal cities.
Brian Horton, interim chairman of Ramsgate Neighborhood Board, who signed the grant to Pie, said: “The board is making a clear statement: we are committed to providing safe, positive spaces for future generations to thrive.”
