£1.3m Lottery bid for flagship project to help young people

By helen draycott news reporter

WALSALL Council is hoping to hit the jackpot as it bids to secure £1.3 million of Lottery funding to develop a 'world-class facility' for young people in the area.

Cabinet members are expected to approve a business plan for the state-of-the-art facility they hope to develop on the Joseph Leckie school campus when they meet next Wednesday, subject to funding being secured from the Big Lottery Fund's 'Myplace' initiative.

If given the green light and the cash, the facility would house a raft of activities and provide 'information, support and advice' for young people in Walsall.

Cabinet member for children's services, Councillor Rachel Andrew, said: "We are very hopeful that we will get the go-ahead from the Big Lottery Fund.

"We want to ensure that as soon as funding is in place we are ready to go with a proper business plan for the use of the building.

"If we do get approval, the new centre would be the icing on the cake to our new visionary approach to young people's services in Walsall and would involve a wide ranging partnership from the public, private and voluntary sectors.

"Young people would be at the heart of the centre, right from its conception through the development stages, and have a huge say in the types of activities it provides."

Once built the new centre – which young people across the borough have been actively involved in putting together the business plan for – would become the flagship of the newly-formed Integrated Young People's Support Services (IYPSS).

The new development would be an 'attractive and safe place' for young people to go to in their spare time and take part in a wide range of activities.

It would also offer support services, particularly to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.