A youth club that served "generations" of people is now being transformed into a state of the arts community centre.
Bebington Youth Centre, in New Ferry, has been a large part of the local community for around 60 years, however, now the building is underused, dated and unable to service the local community in the best ways possible. However this week that's going to change, with contractors arriving on site to begin transforming the building into a state of the arts community centre.
The transformed centre will feature new all-weather 3G five-a-side football pitches, as well as a gym, community cafe and youth club. The building, once it reopens in late May 2023, will be open seven days a week and will close at 9pm each night though while the work is ongoing it is closed to the public.
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In 2016 a group of council representatives met with members of the community to discuss how to utilise the underused space more better. At the time, the youth club had only been open for nine hours each week, and only to 13 to 19-year-olds.
The £1m transformation will be funded mostly by the council, who are footing £750,000 of the bill, with Sport England covering the remaining £250,000.
One the building reopens, it will be run by New Ferry Rangers Football Club, a charitable organisation. Their chair, Simon Crabtree, said: “This project has been around 5 years in the making and New Ferry Rangers would like to thank all involved especially Wirral Council and Sport England who have really pushed this through.
“The new club will be the jewel in the crown for New Ferry and will be accessible to the whole community not just the football clubs. The Youth Club is much loved but under used - this will change that and start a bright new future for the area.”
Cllr Janette Williamson, leader of Wirral Council, said: “Bebington youth club has been part of community life in New Ferry for 60 years. Generations of local people have used the building, and many have fond memories and a personal connection with the place.
"This work reflects those strong local links and brings new and much better facilities to what is one of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the whole country. The comprehensive improvement works and the new facilities are expected to make the centre much more financially and environmentally sustainable and will complement the wider regeneration of New Ferry.
"They are also a great example of the Council’s support for community wealth building.”
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