Thread by @Andrewwood17

Visited the new Youth Zone in Barking & Dagenham this week to see if it is as idea that Tower Hamlets should be looking at
YES, as these tweets will explain, they offer a much wider range of activities then you would expect via purpose build facilities:
Climbing wall
Gym
1/

Dance studio
Arts & crafts room
Football 3G
Skateboard park
4 court sports hall with cricket net
Badminton
Snooker
Basketball
Trampoline
Music production studio
AV production room
Meeting room
Chill out room
Cooking classroom
Homework/study room
Individual toilets/showers
2/

I could not take pictures with kids inside but the first thing that struck me on entry that all of the first arrivals were girls
Rooms like this allow skills to be taught, people to be prepared for interviews & chats about personal relationships
Note free tampons in corner
3/

Facility is very well staffed + volunteers but can aslo bring in other charities/youth activities i.e. local boxing club provides coach to train boxers, not an exclusive set up
Building is designed using lessons from elsewhere, air conditioned, clear sight lines
4/

Can get hot food on site for £1 or learn to cook
Some days for 8 to 12 year olds
Others for 12 to 19 year olds (up to 25 years for those with additional needs)
They do allow smoking outside (better to monitor what they smoke then have them smoke elsewhere unmonitored)
5/

Users pay £5 a year membership + 50p to enter - if you pay for something you are more likely to value it
But run as a charity jointly funded by Council & external partners i.e. Jack Petchey Foundation, in TH youth centres 100% funded by Council
futureyouthzone.org
6/

5,000 signed up as members, only open 3 months so far
Open 40 hours a week, 7 days a week, 52 weeks, will open on Xmas day for dinner for children in care
80% of users travel 2 1/2 miles
20% travel up to 5 miles
But centre based in Beckton, very low density compared to TH
7/

No DLR for example nearby
Getting 120-170 children a day, up to 254 children recently
Recent month they got 2,000 unique users but still early days
A similar youth centre in TH would be much closer to good transport & more children as much denser buildings
8/

There are only 2 youth centres in TH that are similar Haileybury Youth Centre & Poplar Harca Spotlight Lansbury - both located next to large secondary schools
But still do not offer range of activities as Youth Zone
I will be asking my colleagues to go look
9/

This is the kind of place we need on Isle of Dogs given population growth
We only have St Andrews Wharf youth centre on Westferry rd, often closed, in March it had 69 visitors in the whole month
Croydon & Barnet Councils also opening Youth Zone centres, we should follow them
10/