Hopes upcoming Bristol youth centre will reduce violence
Youth Moves have announced their first partners for the centre 224, due to open between Hartcliffe and Knowle West next year
It's hoped a new youth centre due to open in South Bristol next year will reduce violence on the streets.
Named 224 and set to be run by the charity Youth Moves, it is being created near the Imperial Retail Park between Hartcliffe and Knowle West at a cost of £11 million.
The money is coming from UK youth charity OnSide, which is creating a network of 15 Youth Zones nationwide, of which 224 will be one.
With work to create it set to begin imminently, Youth Moves says it is looking for other groups to partner up with, which can provide entertainment and activities inside.
The Cause and Off The Record (OTR) have already been named as 224's inaugural partners and will offer work shops in music production and counselling respectively.
Interim chief executive of Youth Moves Guy Cowper said: "Partnership working is key to our model, and we are incredibly keen to talk to other youth organisations in the city not just about how they can use the space at 224 to deliver their own specialist programmes, but also how they can help deliver services in the new Youth Zone.
"This is about making youth provision in Bristol the best it can be by making 224 a hub and catalyst for partnership working."
Once 224 is open The Cause will offer workshops in vocal recording, live performances, media video, photography and content creation, all of which will give young people an insight into the creative industries.
OTR meanwhile, will provide mental health and wellbeing support.
Jason Ward, founder of The Cause, said: "224 will be an absolute game-changer for Bristol, providing a much-needed space for young people city-wide to inspire and be inspired.
"We had the opportunity to visit the Wigan Youth Zone, so have seen first-hand what an incredible facility 224 will be for the young people of Bristol."
Jacob Diggle, Chair of Trustees at Off the Record said: "Young people deserve the best possible support but services are severely stretched across the region.
"The opening of 224 will be a moment for huge celebration!"
Primarily the site will be for young people aged from 8 to 19, though it will also be available for young people with additional needs, aged up to 25. It will be open seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.
Plans for 224 have been known about for some time, but this latest update comes with the Bristol area experiencing an epidemic of knife crime.
Since the start of 2024 four people have lost their lives on Bristol's streets, three of them teenagers, two of whom in Max Dixon and Mason Rist, were killed in Knowle West.
Many more young people have been injured in incidents across the city, which led our charity Cash for Kids to fund the installation of 10 life saving bleed control kits on the streets, earlier this year.
Experts tell Greatest Hits Radio that in order to reduce such tragedies, more value must be placed on a young person's life.
It is hoped that creating new sites such as 224, showing young people that they matter and are cared for, will help.