Save Winchcombe's Youth Centre

In Winchcombe, Gloucestershire County Council owns a building that for years has been a youth centre. We have seen young people thrive as a result of their time in that space with our youth workers and those from organisations who used the space before us. It's proximity to the Sports Hall, central location, disabled access and parking make it the most suitable site in Winchcombe for continued Youth Services. As landlord, GCC has asked all current users of the building to move out whilst they assess it for repair and decide on its future. We want GCC to involve the community, especially young people, in their review of this building's future so that any refurbishment/re-design/re-let is appropriate for local need.

Winchcombe needs a dedicated youth centre building, for too long young people have been squeezed out of physical spaces in our community and they deserve better. We are seeing now the impact of catastrophic cuts to open access youth services a decade ago, as waiting lists for counselling and mental health support spiral out of control, compounded by the recent pandemic. Community Youth Services from a dedicated building can help to support young people at a much earlier stage, reducing the pressure on over-stretched specialist services. Consulting with young people in the community over the future of their youth centre building should be a priority for GCC, however in our communications to date we have been given no indication that this will be the case.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to secure, so far as is reasonably practicable, sufficient provision of educational and recreational leisure-time activities for young people and to make sure young people have a say in the local offer. (Education Act 1996 Section 507B)

We need local support to add volume to our voice to GCC so that they will be willing to come and listen to the voices of young people. We are asking young people to write letters that we will send to GCC and we want to show adult support for that through this petition. Our goal is that through this petition and young people's letters GCC will actively seek out to listen to and act in response to the voices of young people in our community.