GLMCC has been awarded a transformational Youth Investment Fund grant to renovate and extend its youth provision offer to young people across Birmingham.

It is exciting news for young people within the community, who will benefit from the generous funding. GLMCC currently provides over 10 services for youth including sports activities, youth clubs, education and outdoor excursions. The increased services will open the door to greater youth capacity being able to access activities, mentoring and skills development.

The Youth Investment Fund of over £2.2million, allows GLMCC to support another 772 youth when the project is complete. GLMCC hopes to create a pioneering youth centre, GLMCC Youth Futures, with additional services and activities aligned to the needs of our youth.

GLMCC Youth Futures will include a state-of-the-art youth centre, with modern facilities including open versatile spaces, a fully equipped teaching kitchen, and a creative arts area with a captivating digital tunnel installation. The activities will include leadership programs, critical thinking programs, arts and culture elements, staying safe online, and empowerment of minoritised communities. A Youth Advisory Board has been formed, which will form the cornerstone of the program, and they have been actively involved in the development of the physical site and the program of work. This service will allow young people to access a space that is much needed; they will be able to access programs that would have otherwise been out of reach, enriching their lives.

GLMCC is one of 44 youth projects in England to benefit from a Youth Investment Fund grant, announced by the funder, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the charity Social Investment Business, who is delivering the grant programme in partnership with Key Fund, National Youth Agency and Resonance. The Youth Investment Fund is part of the Government’s National Youth Guarantee to transform and level up opportunities for young people in England. The Youth Investment Fund, of over £300 million, aims to build, renovate, or extend youth service facilities, providing a minimum of 45,000 additional positive activities for young people between 11 and 18 – in the parts of the country where new spaces and new opportunities are most needed.The Youth Investment Fund grants announced today are worth £70 million.Over £90 million of grants were also announced to 43 youth services in March 2023. This means that so far a total of over £160 million has been invested in youth services across England and will benefit another 28,500 young people. More grants will be announced later this year.

The Youth Investment Grant will enable youth services like GLMCC to transform health, well-being, skills, and opportunities for young people. It is a ground-breaking opportunity to prioritise the needs of young people and deliver the life-changing services they need, creating a more equal society for future generations. Work is planned to start on site as early as September 2023 and the service should open its doors to young people by April 2024.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said:

“I want every young person to have the opportunity to access the kinds of life-changing activities which expand their horizons and allow them to develop vital life skills.”

“These next 44 youth centres will give 12,000 more young people the opportunity to access these activities, building on the first tranche of Youth Investment Fund investment that is seeing new projects like the Alt Valley Communiversity opening in Liverpool.”

“We will make sure every young person has someone to talk to, something to do, somewhere to go.”

Nick Temple, CEO for Social Investment Business, that leads the delivery partnership said:
“The Youth Investment Fund is all about prioritising the needs of young people in England and creating a more equal society for future generations. It is wonderful to see how the fund is already transforming young people’s opportunities to experience the joy of local youth services designed for, and by, young people. Today’s announcement means another 12,000 young people can access quality, sustainable and accessible youth clubs.”

“It is so exciting to see the first Youth Investment Fund projects open their doors to young people, giving them every opportunity to make friends, have fun, discover their passions, and thrive. And it is just the start: thousands more young people will benefit from new or expanded local youth services, supporting their wellbeing and helping them gain vital skills for life and work.”

Welcoming the Youth Investment Fund grant, Mohammed Saeed, Chair of Trustees of GLMCC said “We have been evolving our youth services over the past few years. For the past year, we have been unable to accommodate more youth and services at the centre, due to a lack of space and resource. This expansion will allow us to support many more youth and provide essential services for their development”

The Youth Advisory Board of GLMCC Youth Futures is excited to be involved in developing and implementing activities at the youth centre. “We would like to lead, suggest new ideas, facilitate and participate in various clubs and programs. This project is really needed for youth, we need safe and healthy ways to spend our time and develop our skills.” Zunayrah, age 13.