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NE1 CREATES SPACE2… FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN NEWCASTLE CITY CENTRE
Jake Bugg to officially open NE1’s Space2… youth facility on Clayton Street.
Fresh from his performance at the Evolution Festival – singer/songwriter, Jake Bugg will be taking time out to officially open Space2… – a youth facility in the heart of the city – the brainchild of NE1 Ltd.
Young people now have a space in the heart of Newcastle city centre, to meet with friends, play games, watch films and enhance their job skills, thanks to business improvement district company, NE1 Ltd.
Based in Newgate Shopping Centre on Clayton Street, the centre is situated around the corner from The Gate and across the road from Eldon Square’s St Andrews Mall, ideally placed right in the centre of town.
Space2…has been financed and delivered by NE1, who teamed up with YMCA Newcastle and Solar Learning to create a space for young people in the heart of the city centre with the aim of tackling youth unemployment by forging strong links with the city’s business community.
Space2… is managed by YMCA Newcastle with Solar Learning, a locally-based community interest company, with an excellent track record in bringing young people into work, coordinating a programme to deliver training, mentoring and skill development projects. One of the key features of Space2… is that it is being delivered in close collaboration with city centre businesses who are working with Space2… to offer guidance and support on courses and their delivery. The team is also looking to match promising young people who use the centre with specific vacancies and job opportunities with Newcastle employers.
Space2… is made up of three units each designed to fulfil a different purpose.
Unit 1, named Space2… ‘Chill’, is designed to provide an area where young people from 13 to 18 can relax, buy drinks and snacks, hang out with friends, play video games PS3 or Xbox360 or watch films – all for free. There is also an iPad station, equipped with ipads, where visitors can network and play.
Space2…‘Do’ is the name given to Unit 2 where the focus of activity is all about participation. A flexible space designed to provide a venue for employment and enterprise training, courses and workshops, it can also host events and activities such as video editing sessions and dance classes. It also provides a forum for young people to meet with business people to hear what they do, how they got there and to seek advice on what skills and training they are looking for when making appointments
A regular program of events and activities will be organised for this space with full details updated regularly on www.space2.org.uk
In Unit 3, Space2… ‘Work’, a quieter room designed for young people to work independently using the bank of Windows, or Apple Mac computers to do their individual study including homework, CVs and job applications.
Space2… is open Monday –Thursday from 4 – 8pm, Friday 4 – 7pm, weekend opening is from 11- 7 on Saturdays and from 12 – 8pm on Sundays.
Sean Bullick, Chief Executive of NE1 Ltd, Sean explained:
“Much of what NE1 does is about making Newcastle as attractive a place as possible for a wide cross section of the population. Space2… helps us achieve this by showing that the city centre welcomes young people and that businesses are prepared to put their money where their mouth is by investing in them.
“One of the most crucial roles of Space2… is to help tackle the issue of youth unemployment. At Space2…we aim to match young people with city centre vacancies and provide training, advice and employment skills to make a real difference to their employability and the lives of hundreds of young people, in turn we hope to help local employers find the skilled workers they need.”
Jeff Hurst, Chief Executive of Newcastle YMCA explained:
“Here at YMCA we truly believe that every young person is capable of achieving great things. To do this they need 3 things – the opportunity, the resources and the support. Space2...has enabled us to work with NE1 Ltd and Solar Learning to deliver these 3 key things to young people who want to take advantage of them. We can also show employers how talented the city’s young people are and provide a window on the fantastic work opportunities there are with city centre businesses. Space2… can make a real difference to the city and its residents.”
Michael Evans, MD of Solar Learning added:
“Space2… is an exciting and unique venture to improve opportunities for young people in Newcastle city centre. Together NE1, Solar Learning and Newcastle YMCA are breaking new ground in the delivery of youth projects in the 21st century. By providing this dynamic, creative and innovative facility we want to welcome young people, inspire and support them to raise their aspirations, develop their skills for the modern world of work and provide them with a space to learn and get involved in a wide range of activities.”
For more information on Space2…:
www.facebook.com/newcastlespace2; follow Space2…on Twitter @newcastlespace2
