A brand-new youth hub is set to open its doors in the heart of Walsall town centre this summer, offering young people a safe and welcoming space to relax, connect, and have fun.
The former Clive Marks school uniform shop in the Saddlers Shopping Centre is being transformed into a vibrant hub created by young people, for young people. It’s one of fifteen exciting regeneration projects across Walsall made possible by a successful £20 million funding bid from the UK Government.
Responding to direct feedback from young residents, the youth hub aims to provide a much-needed space to meet up, unwind, and try out new activities.
Due to open in the coming weeks, the hub will be free to access and packed with activities including gaming consoles, arts and crafts, pool tables, chill-out areas, and free Wi-Fi. It’s designed to be a modern take on the traditional youth club – shaped with input from local young people themselves.
Walsall Council has worked closely with a youth advisory group who’ve played a key role in shaping the plans, from deciding what the space will offer to influencing its overall design and layout.
Councillor Adam Hicken, Portfolio Holder for Resilient and Safer Communities at Walsall Council, said:
“Young people have told us that they want more safe spaces to meet with each other in the town centre, and that’s exactly what this youth hub will deliver with them and for them.
We know over time, the traditional youth club that once was, has somewhat phased out of society, and it’s great that Walsall is going against the grain and bringing a space back where young people can enjoy some downtime.
Whilst this is a resource specifically aimed at our young residents, we hope the news of the hub brings some positivity to our wider town centre community too and demonstrates that we understand and are listening to their views.
The Saddlers shopping centre unit is a temporary location which will remain in place until the end of the year, and following that, will move to a permanent premises so it isn’t affected by some of the wider regeneration works planned.
So, please do watch this space as we will be sharing more information soon!”
Initially, the youth hub will open on weekday evenings and will be staffed by Walsall Council youth workers.
Keep an eye out for updates and opening announcements in the coming weeks.