Brighton Youth Centre to reopen after £7.5m rebuild

Brighton Youth Centre is due to reopen in time for the half-term holiday after its base was rebuilt on its Edward Street site.

The £7.5 million project makes the building fully accessible across several floors so that all young people can access the many spaces including an indoor skate park, sports hall and performance space.

An opening ceremony is due to take place at 2pm on Saturday 25 October after the rebuild which was partly funded by a £4.3 million government grant and a £2.3 million grant from Brighton and Hove City Council.

The youth centre serves a core 13 to 19-year-old age group – but chief executive Mike Roe aims to open up the site during the day to the wider community including fitness classes for older people.

Mr Roe said that the combination of government and council funding was “amazing” during a time when youth clubs were in decline because of a lack of money.

The club welcomes more than 2,000 young people from across Brighton and Hove every year and even did so during its rebuild period when services were moved to Gloucester Road and the skate park to the Engineerium, in Hove.

Mr Roe said: “We see a few hundred in any given week. Some come several times. Some come for different events.

“There are such broad reasons to come. We have some who come, skateboard, appear in the youth club, go off and play basketball and then play guitar.

“Young people like that help other young people make their way around the building.”

Youth worker Marlon Williams has been working with young people at the temporary base in Gloucester Road and looks forward to bringing teenagers back to Edward Street.

He said: “It’s a blessing. I’ve worked in loads of different places with young people and have never been in a space like this.

“Young people can go from A to B and transition to engage in things they might have interest in but still be in an environment that’s safe to be around their friends to socialise.”

Once it is fully operational, the youth centre aims to open seven days a week, offering everything from board games and roll-playing and art to music, sports and skateboarding.

There are also counselling rooms – and talks under way with the NHS to introduce a general practitioner to offer health advice.

Autistic teenagers will also have their own dedicated space as the youth centre continues to partner with the support group Mascot to operate the service.

Music and performing arts college BN1 Arts is already using rehearsal rooms and the dance studio before the official opening.